


The Fast Lane

by AshWritesRarely



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Rating May Change, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:14:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24171145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshWritesRarely/pseuds/AshWritesRarely
Summary: An Elijah Mikaelson/OFC Human AU; Crime AU"Ash's gaze hardened as she stared at him, her jaw tight. "I'm not helping you kill them."Elijah smiled, shaking his head. "Oh, no, no. I do not want them dead; in fact, I want quite the opposite," Ash tilted her head, her brows furrowed. "I want to bring Damon and Enzo in under my family- a partnership.""Ash Rhodes was a smart woman; stuck to herself, and tried to keep her head down. Unfortunately for her, life has other plans. When members of the infamous Mikaelson family come to town, asking around for her best friends, it’s not as easy as Ash thought to stay on the sidelines.[DISCONTINUED]
Relationships: Elijah Mikaelson/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter One

Ash sat slumped against the bar of some dingy dive, her hand curled loosely around a water stained glass filled with cheap whiskey that burned more than it intoxicated. Her eyes were trained on the tiny TV playing a football game she couldn’t care less about, the poor signal giving the picture a grainy quality and breaking up the audio; not that it mattered, with the classic rock blasting over the crackling speakers. She ignored the stumbling drunks around her, and the glares she shot to men trying to make a pass at her were enough to ensure she was left alone.

“Hey,” She glanced up from her glass to stare into the dancing ice blue eyes of the bartender of this ‘fine’ establishment, and unfortunately, one of her closest friends, Damon Salvatore. “You seem more miserable than usual.”

“Fuck you too, Damon,” She pushed her whiskey glass towards him with one finger, and Damon filled it up with a smirk. “Work was shit. Ride home was shit. And I get to go home to my shitty apartment,” As he pulled the bottle back, Ash snatched up her glass and guzzled as much of the burning liquid as she could without choking. “Why the fuck would I be happy?”

Damon sucked his teeth and gave her a sympathetic look. “Was it really that bad?”

Ash groaned, letting her head drop onto the sticky bar with a thunk. “If it wasn’t the only job I could get in this shithole, I’d quit.”

Damon made a sound in the back of his throat, reaching over to pat her on the back. “You can always have a job here, Ash. I could talk to—,” She sat up and waved a hand at him, silencing him in a single gesture. Damon shrugged, rolling his eyes. “Alright, fine, but you can’t say I didn’t try to help your stubborn ass.”

Ash shot him a glare, sipping on her whiskey again. “Y’know its not you, Damon,” She softened her voice at the look in his eye; Damon wasn’t one to openly admit when he was hurt, but Ash knew him well enough to read those blue eyes as easily as a Buzzfeed article. He gave her a tight lipped smile, his jaw tight, and Ash heaved a sigh. “I can’t work for your boss. There’s—,”

Damon cut her off with a wave of his hand. “Yeah, yeah, history. You and Enzo have it. It’s fine,” He gave her a small smile— one of the ones he usually reserved for drunken nights spent together on her couch, when the sun had set and all that was playing on TV were infomercials and bad 90s sitcom reruns, and they were the only two people in the world. “But you should know he doesn’t have any hard feelings. And plus,” He wagged his eyebrows at her, his usual smirk firmly back in place and covering up any potential vulnerability. “You and I could be work-married.”

Ash finally laughed at that, shaking her head and reaching over the bar to smack him in the shoulder. “In your _dreams_ , Salvatore!” Damon laughed with her, eyes twinkling as he made his best friend laugh. They hadn’t ever gone past that; both needed a friend in this town— someone with no complications, someone they could both be vulnerable to without fear of the other using it against them. Ash was happy for that, too; especially on days like this, when everything was so hard and all she wanted to do was crack a joke and share a drink with a friend.

“Oh, come _on_ , Ash,” He wagged his eyebrows again, his grin growing wider. “We both know you’ve imagined it before.” He dodged her hand, laughing as she shook with suppressed laughter on her bar stool.

“I think you’re projecting a little bit there, Damon,” She tossed him a wink, chuckling around her next drink. Damon laughed with her, eyes skipping over to the door as it opened and another pair of men walked in. At his low whistle, Ash turned to look over her shoulder, rolling her eyes. “D’you think they’re lost?”

Damon made a noise in the back of his throat, and Ash glanced back at him to see him watching the newcomers with an intensity usually reserved for known bangers or drug dealers. Ash looked back at them, her own interest piqued.

One of them looked like he sort of belonged; leather jacket, boots, tastefully torn jeans, and curly blonde hair with sea-blue eyes that scanned the bar in a way that had a shiver rolling down her spine. The other one looked more out of place in a suit that easily cost more than her rent and car payment combined, brown hair perfectly styled without a hair out of place, and chocolate eyes that had the same intensity as his partner’s. Turning back to Damon, she leaned closer to him and lowered her voice. “Friends of yours?”

“Never seen them before in my life,” Damon kept his voice low as well, icy eyes on the newcomers as they made their way to the bar. Ash huddled into herself, watching out of her peripheral as they sat two stools down from her. “Stay here.” She gave an imperceptible nod, and Damon walked over to them, a fake smile plastered on his face as he greeted them.

They ordered bourbons, and Damon actually had to go into the back room to get them a bottle that met their clearly high standards. Ash kept her gaze focused on her drink, straining to listen in on what the two strangers were talking about over the cacophony of music and patrons. She knew Damon would want to know as much as possible; he and Enzo were on the other side of the law, behind the bar, and if these two could cause trouble, well. Ash knew where her loyalties lay, even if Enzo was a cheating bastard.

The two men were hushed, and she couldn’t hear more than a few names she didn’t recognize. Either they were new to town, and were here to stir things up, or they were just passing through, and deserved the same attention as everyone else passing through this shithole— just enough to gauge danger, and not an iota more.

At the mention of ‘Salvatore’, though, she kept her attention on them; if they wanted Damon or Stefan, she’d do her damndest to interfere from the sidelines.

A few seconds later, and Damon returned from the back, his smile plastered back on as he shook it back and forth. “Here we are, gentlemen,” He poured them each a glass, smile wide as he took them in with his piercing gaze. “Sorry. Keep the top-shelf stuff in the back.”

The blonde chuckled, lifting his glass to his lips and taking a quick drink. “No problem, mate,” Ash raised a brow at the accent; okay, clearly not from around these parts, then. “I can understand, given the…” He glanced around, a smirk curling his lips. “ _Charming_ area you’re in.”

Damon gave him a tight lipped smile, his jaw twitching at the thinly veiled insult. “Yeah,” He glanced over at Ash, who rolled her eyes and gave a small sneer, her opinion of the two men quite clear. “We do try our best to keep from getting robbed.”

The blonde chuckled, the glint in his eye dampening the innocence of his smile. “Well that would be bad for business, wouldn’t it?”

Damon chuckled, his eyes hard as he leaned on the bar, body loose enough that anybody glancing over would see a friendly bartender welcoming some new folks in. Ash knew better, though; had seen that particular glint, that hidden glee at the prospect of getting his knuckles bloody. She steeled herself for the worst, nursing her drink as she glanced over.

The blonde was still focused on Damon, the two locked in a heated stare. The other one, though, was watching her with an intent look, his brown eyes taking in her every movement. Ash’s breath caught in her throat, and she gave the man a tight lipped smile and a nod, her body tensed in a way it hadn’t been since that time Enzo had talked her into stealing a car a few years ago. The man just smirked, a slight upturn of his lips, and returned the nod, before returning his attention back to Damon and his partner. She snapped her attention forward, another shiver rolling down her spine as her thoughts began to race.

Why had he been watching her? Did he know she and Damon were involved? He had known the Salvatore brothers, had apparently known Stefan before Lexi cleaned him up again and got him out of the ‘business’. Her fingers tapped against her glass as she stared down at her whiskey, her brows furrowed and her leg bouncing. Maybe she was being paranoid, and he was just like any other guy in this bar; see a pair of tits, try and score. For once in her life, she hoped it was that. The feeling in the pit of her stomach, however, told her that that might not be the case.

“So,” Damon’s voice brought her back to the moment, and Ash glanced over to him; he was making his way back over to her, and Ash glanced over to see the two strangers gone. She let loose a breath she didn’t know she was holding, slumping slightly in her seat. “They were weird.”

She huffed a laugh, passing her glass to him for another refill as she smirked. “I think that’s an understatement, pal.”

Damon laughed, refilling her glass, before pouring his own. At Ash’s raised brow, he scoffed. “Oh, come on. I _need_ a drink after that. Something tells me that isn’t gonna be the last we see of them.”

Ash looked down into the amber of her whiskey, swirling it in her glass as she thought about the encounter. Something told her that Damon was right, and that it wasn’t going to be good. “I hate it when you’re right, Damon.”

He made a sound of agreement, and the two clinked their glasses together, the once light mood now stifled with a foreboding sense of dread.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So since I posted this to wattpad first, and the first two chapters are up on there, I’m just dropping Chapter Two now.

There were very few times that Ash could remember actually regretting her friendship with Damon Salvatore. The first time, when she had just move here, and he had convinced her into going on a double blind date that ended up with her entire relationship with Enzo. Then there was the time he came to her, holding a dirty shop towel over a bullet wound in his side, expecting her to pull the offending projectile out and stitch him back up. She had, of course, all the while bitching at him for getting her floors bloody.

This, though? Being forced to sit in the cramped office in the back of the dive, a paranoid Enzo eyeing them both as if they’d finally made a move against him, was quickly coming to the top of that list, however.

“Who were they?” Enzo’s brown eyes were flicking between Ash and Damon, who had cracked open the bottle of expensive scotch Enzo bought nearly a year ago, and had been fiercely protective of until now. “What did they want?”

Damon shrugged, clearly bored as he slouched in the cracked leather chair across from Enzo’s desk. “I don’t know. They were dicks, though.”

“Yeah,” Ash put her glass on the desk, clearly more worried than Damon was. “I didn’t get to tell you yet, but they were talking about your family, Damon.” Enzo perked up at that, dark eyes on Ash as his eyebrows furrowed. She shrugged and held up her hands, preparing for the onslaught of questions her ex undoubtedly had. “Hey, I didn’t hear much. They clearly knew they were being watched.”

Damon nodded, pointing at her with the hand holding his glass. “Yeah, the suit was watching Ash here for a while. Didn’t say a damn thing, either,” He gave an exaggerated shiver, a sneer curling his lip. “Creepy.”

“Do you think they had anything to do with…” Enzo trailed off, looking at Damon, who scoffed. “Come on, Damon. You know your family has a specific… _Reputation_.”

“Yeah, in fucking _Italy_. And that was with my dad, not me, or Stefan.” Damon rolled his eyes, taking a long drink of his whiskey. “And plus, they wouldn’t have been able to find me. I ditched _daddy_ way back when.” He rolled his eyes and smirked at Enzo, who gave him a disbelieving look.

“Right, mate, and what have you and I been doing? Turning cars for charity?” He scoffed, pouring his own drink before standing up and pacing the short length of his office, steps muffled by the dingy carpet that hadn’t been cleaned in as long as the two had owned the place. “We’re on the _map_ now, Damon. People _know_ who we are, and you kept your last name for, what was it? A few extra bucks?”

Damon groaned, letting his head fall back onto his chair. “You don’t actually think they followed us? All the way to the States?”

Ash sighed, putting her head in her hands. “Are you telling me those were _Mikaelsons_ back there?” Damon’s groan was answer enough, and Ash shook her head, pushing her chair back and standing up, grabbing her purse and glaring at the two men in front of her. “You know what. Friendship has it’s limits, boys. I’m not getting in the middle of this.”

She turned on her heel, marching to the door with every intent to get the fuck out of Dodge. It was a crap town, anyway, and she had wanted to move for a while, friendship with Damon be damned. And now, with the Mikaelson family darkening their doorstep? She wanted no part of it.

Just as her hand curled around the door handle, a hand slammed the wood into place, and she turned to find Enzo glaring down at her.

“Sorry, darling. But you’re already in the middle.” His voice was cold, and Ash clenched her jaw as she shivered. Enzo wasn’t usually prone to violence; he had Damon for that. But she knew that look, knew he was absolutely right; she was already in too far. One of them had seen enough of her to follow if she fled.

“Enzo,” Damon’s voice was hard behind them, and it was a testament to the men’s relationship that Enzo actually threw a look over his shoulder at him. “Let her go.”

“Can’t do that, Damon. You said it yourself—,”

“Enzo is right.” Both men stopped and stared at her as she sighed, pushing past Enzo to sit back down in her chair, her purse thumping dully on the carpet as it fell from her fingers. She ran a hand through her hair, closing her eyes in frustration as her mind raced. “I’m too far in. Chances are they know Damon and I are close. Which means if I run, they’ll chase, and we’re safer together.”

Enzo stayed by the door, his body still tense, as if he were waiting for Ash to run again. Damon watched her, his blue eyes showing his concern. “Are you sure, Ash? You’re not as far in as me and Enzo. I could call Lex, she could—,”

Ash held up a hand, stopping him before he could get the idea too firmly cemented in his brain. “Damon, I’m serious,” She gave him a small smile, the same kind he would give her to reassure her when she was anxious about something. “We’re in this together.”

Enzo clapped his hands, then, walking the short distance to his desk chair and sitting down with a grin. “Well, it’s decided, then.”

Damon eyed Ash, his mouth a thin line, worry creasing his brow. “I guess we are.”

* * *

Damon’s apartment was slightly better than Ash’s; for one thing, his furniture wasn’t falling apart, his Netflix account was paid for, and his pantry and fridge were full. Add in the fact that he was a good cook, and Ash wondered why she never took up his offer to take the second bedroom.

Damon’s apartment was not good, however, when he was pissed off at her. Ash sighed, curled up on his couch as she watched him in the kitchen. “Are you going to be mad at me forever?”

Damon made a noncommittal sound, turning to toss in the onions and garlic he had cut up into his tomato sauce. Ash pursed her lips, rolling her eyes as she grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. Better to take advantage of his Netflix account while she was here and he _wasn’t_ talking her ear off.

“You know, I never thought of you as stupid, Ash, but I guess I was wrong.” Okay, scratch that. Ash rolled her eyes, her head flopping back to smack against the back of the couch, gaze locked on the ceiling. “I mean, I was trying to get you an out, and you just- tell me to forget it! You _want_ to be in danger!”

“Damon—,”

“No, don’t you _Damon_ me,” He shot her a glare as he stirred the pasta, and Ash groaned. “You’re being stupid and you _know_ it.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know getting chased across the country, potentially across the world, was _smart_ ,” She glared at him in return, her anger quickly growing. “Damon, I’m a grown ass woman. I think things through, unlike _some_ people I know.”

Damon turned to her, blue eyes heated with his own brimming anger. “Fuck you, Ash,” She scoffed, rolling her eyes again. “No, really, fuck you. I might not think _everything_ I do through, but at least I actually _do_ shit!”

She groaned, standing up and shaking her head. “Look, Damon, I don’t want to have this argument right now.”

“Oh, of _course_ not,” She shot him another glare, tugging her boots on and tying the laces tighter than she probably should. “God forbid you have an argument with anyone.”

Ash let out a humorless laugh, grabbing her purse and flipping Damon off on her way to the door. “Fuck you, Damon.”

“Where are you going?” He was still angry, and she knew he was asking out of concern for her safety, but she was too angry to deal with him, and wanted the solitude of her own apartment.

“Home, Damon. I’ll see you whenever you get the stick out of your ass.” She didn’t wait for his reply, just slammed the door behind her and jogged down the stairs to get to the ground floor.

Ash knew he was angry because he wanted her safe, and thought her decision had been somehow swayed by Enzo’s behavior. But she knew a lot of things rationally; she would sort through the mess after she had calmed down and she and Damon were actually sober and had a good night’s sleep.

She heaved a tired sigh as she fished her keys out of her purse, not paying attention to what was around her as she made her way to her car.

“Good evening.” Ash jumped at the voice, her hand clutching her chest as her heart raced. She turned around, eyes going wide as she took in the familiar stranger before her. His chocolate eyes ran over her, a small, amused smirk tugging at his lips. “Forgive me; I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She nodded, keeping her eyes on the man. He took a step forward, and she took one back, her grip tightening on her keys as a precaution; she wasn’t above keying out some asshole’s eyes. He smiled at the movement, his eyes flicking down to her hand, the smirk on his face only growing. “I will not hurt you. Unless I need to, of course.” He nodded to her hand, and she clenched her jaw, not letting go.

“What do you want?” Ash was proud of how strong her voice sounded; she was certainly not feeling the confidence her voice suggested she had. The stranger seemed almost impressed, his brown eyes shimmering with approval before they hardened again.

“Straight to business, then?” The grin that spread across his face could only be described as wolfish, and Ash frowned up at him, backing up when he took another step forward. “I admire that.”

Ash sneered at him, her back finally hitting her car. She cringed internally, eyes searching for a way out of the position he had cornered her into. “I don’t really give a _shit_ what you admire, _buddy_.”

His chuckle rolled over her, and Ash couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran down her spine. He was close enough that she could see flecks of honey in his eyes, see the stubble that was starting to come in after a long day. He watched her, licking his lips before he spoke. “How do you know Damon Salvatore?”

Ash snorted, a smirk of her own curling her lips. “You think I’m going to tell you? Or even be honest?”

The man smiled, and Ash felt something in the back of her brain twitch; he looked dangerous, the glint in his eye letting her know that this man did more than just turn cars; that perhaps Damon had been right, and she should have run. “I would certainly hope so. You see,” He raised a hand, chuckling when she flinched, eyes dancing as he finally broke her façade. “I am asking you nicely, for now, Ms. Rhodes,” She tensed at her last name, eyes going wide; the man smiled as he brushed a stray hair behind her ear, his fingers barely grazing the skin. “You won’t like it if I have to _make_ you tell me.”

Ash’s eyes slammed shut, her heart hammering in her chest as he took a step back from her. “He’s a friend,” Her voice was quiet, and she refused to meet his eye when she finally convinced herself to open her own. “That’s all.”

He hummed, watching her as she tried not to squirm. “And Lorenzo St. John? Is he a _friend_ of yours as well?”

Ash sighed through her nose, jaw tight as she glanced up at him. His posture was relaxed, his hands in his pants pockets, and he was clearly amused. It infuriated her, but she wasn’t stupid; that much had been true in her argument with Damon. “I wouldn’t say a _friend_ , but I know him.”

Another hum, and the man nodded, flashing her a full smile. She didn’t return it, and he chuckled. “Thank you very much, Ms. Rhodes. I’ll be seeing you.” He nodded to her, turning on his heel and walking in the direction he had come from.

As Ash turned to her car, his voice stopped her. “Oh, and, Ms. Rhodes?” She turned enough to look at him over her shoulder, her eyes wary at his smile. “Please keep this between us. I would hate for things to get… _Messy_.” When her eyes widened, he smiled and went on his way, leaving her alone in the parking lot with her racing thoughts.


	3. Chapter Three

As soon as Ash had her door unlocked, she rushed into her apartment, slamming and locking the door behind her so she could lean back against it. She was still freaked from the man— and slightly aggravated with herself for not at least _trying_ to get a name out of him that _wasn’t_ his last name— and she let one of her hands reach up to cover her chest, feeling her heart race.

It was probable that if they knew her last name, they knew where she lived and worked. Turning Damon’s offer down for his second bedroom now seemed like a bad choice, arguments between them notwithstanding. She could handle a pissed off Damon; she could not handle the stress and paranoia of the Mikaelson family moving into town.

With a sigh, Ash finally flicked on the crappy Wal-Mart lamp she’d gotten a few months ago, her dingy apartment lighting up in a dull yellow. She kicked aside a pair of boots she’d left near the door, her purse falling to the floor with a dull thud. Looking across the room, she noted that the carpet was worn so flat, in this ancient apartment, it could almost trade places with the now-fuzzy linoleum of the kitchen.

Her appetite had faded with the earlier shock, so she bypassed the kitchen in favor of the bedroom, her body and mind both exhausted, ready for the sweet release of sleep. She pushed the door open, the thin wood swinging easily, and stumbled over to the bedside. Ash turned the lamp on, eyes sweeping around, making sure nothing looked out of place; most of her clothes were strewn about the floor, a few empty beer bottles making for an interesting trek to the bathroom every night.

The top drawer of her dresser was still broken, hanging on by the grace of God and a bent piece of metal in the track; a few of her clean clothes shoved into it, Ash too stubborn to not utilize the drawer if it was still in the dresser. The bed was still unmade in her hurry to get to work this morning, and part of Ash knew it would always be that way, especially now.

She sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, wincing as the mattress creaked under her weight, and set to unlacing her boots. She winced when her feet were finally released from their restrictive prisons, the red indents on her ankles an indication that she _had_ tied them too tight in her earlier anger. She tossed the boots and socks aside, peeling off her jeans and tossing them behind her to land on the floor.

Her bra went next, her shirt comfortable enough to sleep in, and grabbed a pair of shorts off of the corner of her bed. She slid them on, stretching as she made her way to her living room to turn everything out and double check her door was locked.

She checked her peephole, doing a quick scan before nodding to herself, flicking off the light to her living room and she made her way back to her bedroom, finally calming down after an hour and no sign of either Mikaelson.

Ash frowned to herself when she thought about what The Suit had said before he left; he wanted their little chat kept quiet. Ash didn’t know why, and the part of her she tried to keep buried down was screaming to figure out the reason. Clearly he wanted the Salvatores, and Enzo; but that was another blank.

Ash knew if this family wanted somebody dead, the person turned up dead. And if Damon hadn’t been lying to her or Enzo, the Mikaelsons would definitely want not only Giuseppe or Damon, but Stefan too. And if they wanted Enzo because of his affiliation with Damon, well…

With a shake of her head, Ash stopped that line of thinking; paranoia kills quicker than anything, and she knew that. She just didn’t know if she could keep everything from Damon.

* * *

As the morning sun filtered in through the broken blinds on Ash’s window, she decided that night was not long enough, and work was not going to be happening today. With a groan, she flailed for her phone, her groan ending on a whine when she couldn’t find it. “Dammit, past Me…” She rolled out of her bed, her hair messy, and shirt askew as she stumbled into the living room.

Dipping down for her purse, the sound of a throat clearing behind her made her shoot up, a scream tearing its way out of her as she whirled around.

Sitting there, on the moth eaten sofa as if it were a throne, was The Suit. His arm was thrown over the back, his leg crossed ankle over knee, as if he had been there for a while. “Good morning, Ms. Rhodes,” At Ash’s responding glare, the bastard just smirked, resting his chin in his free hand as his eyes took in her appearance. “Or should I call you Ms. Harris?”

Ash’s eyes slammed closed, tongue flicking out to lick her bottom lip, hands curled into tight fists at her side. “How did you even get _in_ here?”

He didn’t reply, and Ash opened her eyes again to look at him. He was in an equally expensive suit as the day before, and looked just as put together. His jaw was clean shaven, and Ash resisted the urge to trace the sharp cut of it. “Where might I find Stephan Salvatore?”

Ash felt anger spike at being ignored, her jaw clenching as she took a step towards him. He just watched her, an amused tilt to his head as he waited for a response. “What do you want with Stefan?”

The Suit smiled again, chocolate eyes darkening ever so slightly and letting Ash know that this man might have patience, but it could be worn thin. “I don’t see how that is any concern of yours, Ms. Harris,” His smile widened, a few too many teeth showing to be friendly. “You are simply… _Friends_ with these people, yes?”

Another step, another dose of kerosene on the fire of Ash’s anger. “I said I was friends with Damon,” Her glare was hard. “You didn’t ask about Stefan last night.”

He gave a nod, turning his attention to the window beside the couch, tapping his finger on the arm of her couch. “Yes, and I am asking you about him now, Ms. Harris. I would suggest you answer me.”

“Stop _calling_ me that!” He turned back to her with a raised brow. Her chest heaved, her nails nearly cutting into the skin of her palms with how hard she clenched her fists. When she looked into the dark chocolate of his eyes and saw the amusement dancing there, she took a deep breath, throwing her hands up. “You know what, _fine_. Just let me call in to work.”

At his nod, Ash turned back to her purse, her gaze quickly shooting over towards the front door to make sure it hadn’t been tampered with. Much to her surprise, it was still locked, as if The Suit hadn’t forced entry at all. Glancing down to her purse, Ash unzipped it, fishing around for her phone. Her brow furrowed as she pawed around, unable to feel the device. Sighing to herself, she began taking out different items: her planner, an empty pack of Marlboros, and quickly following that a half full pack.

After a few moments of this, The Suit cleared his throat again. “Are you looking for this, Ms. Harris?” Ash turned, an incredulous look taking over her features as she saw her iPhone, perfectly balanced in the center of his palm. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, amusement once again dancing in the dark depths.

“Wha—…?” She blinked up at him from where she was sat on the floor, her mind racing to catch up. “How- How did…?”

The Suit smirked at her gaping, raising an eyebrow as he let his eyes flick over to her phone, before looking back at her. “Well, Ms. Harris? Or shall I inform your employer you won’t be coming in today?”

Ash finally snapped back to herself, indignation clear on her face as she stood up and snatched her phone from him. He chuckled, letting his eyes skim down her bare legs as she pulled up the number for the diner, knowing Matt would kill her for this, but frankly more concerned with the asshole currently in her apartment.

After a few rings and a short-lived argument that ended with Matt’s begrudging agreement to cover her shift so long as she covered one of his ‘emergencies’, Ash hung up her phone. Part of her was offended that Matt didn’t believe her, but she was grateful to him anyway.

Heaving a sigh, Ash turned back to The Suit, his expression as pleasant as ever. “I take it we will not be interrupted, then?”

Ash rolled her eyes, laying her phone on the table by the door. “Unfortunately.” She turned to her kitchen, shivering as she stepped onto the linoleum. She bent to look into the fridge, a frown passing over her face as she took in the empty shelves. With a much heavier sigh, Ash slammed the door closed and meandered back to the living room, sitting down in a well-loved armchair near the couch. “What else do you want?”

The Suit chuckled again, shaking his head. “Am I correct in assuming you are lacking provisions?”

Ash blinked at him, her face blank. “Are you serious? You somehow break into my apartment, evidently went through my shit, but didn’t stop to check the fridge?” His smirk was answer enough, and somehow, Ash resisted the urge to scream.

He watched her for a few moments before giving a nod, standing to his full height and looking down at her. Ash felt a curl of _something_ as his eyes raked over her form, a smirk twitching at his lips. “Get ready.”

She blinked up at him, her face going slack and blank again; part of her wondered how he managed to keep throwing her for loops every time he opened his mouth, and the other part resented the hell out of him for it. “Excuse me?”

He rolled his eyes, gesturing her up. “If you have nothing here to eat, Ms. Harris—,”

“Stop _calling_ me that.”

“— Then allow me to render my assistance,” She scoffed, and The Suit actually looked mildly offended. “Forgive me, did I say something to amuse you?”

Ash shook her head, a smirk of her own finally curling her lips. “Yeah, actually,” At his held tilt, Ash shrugged. “I mean, come on man; you break into my home, threaten my friends, and I don’t even know your _name_ , but you want me to go to breakfast with you?” She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

This finally seemed to give him pause; he blinked a few times, his brows drawing together, before he gave her a curt nod. “You’re correct; forgive me,” Ash nodded, sinking further back into the comfort of her chair, fully expecting The Suit to get out of her apartment. “You may call me Elijah.”

Ash frowned up at him, her own brows drawn as she blinked back at him. Her eyes narrowed, and this time Elijah sighed. “Ms. Harris—,”

“I’ll go with you if you _swear_ you will _never_ call me that again.”

“Deal.” Elijah smiled, brown eyes twinkling and warm in a way that had Ash’s insides flip-flopping around. She nodded, ducking around him and making a beeline for the bedroom, praying he hadn’t seen her flaming face as she passed him.


	4. Chapter Four

Pacing back and forth in front of her closet, Ash was wracking her brain for any sort of inspiration to hit her. Normally, she would just toss on a t-shirt that didn’t have too many wrinkles and a pair of jeans that hadn’t been completely worn through yet, and would be on her way to Damon’s for breakfast.

Never had she been in quite a scenario like this. A member of one of the most notorious crime families in the _world_ was sitting in her living room in a damn three piece suit at 9:30 AM on a Saturday, waiting to take her to breakfast, evidently.

With a miserable groan, Ash slumped on the edge of her bed closest to the closet, letting her head fall into her hands. Part of the problem was that _normally_ she didn’t give a damn about what anybody thought; Damon certainly wasn’t looking at her like that, and she didn’t give a damn what Enzo thought anymore.

But Elijah?

Ash threw herself back against her bed, huffing as she stared up at the ceiling, cracks spiderwebbing around and drawing her attention. She didn’t like feeling like this, liked that she didn’t have anything to wear even less.

She hated that she kept wondering what he would think.

Heaving herself up with an exasperated groan, Ash marched back to her closet, grabbing the first ‘dressy’ top she saw; a short-sleeved black cold shoulder with a modest neckline. She shrugged, tossing it onto her bed and grabbing a pair of black jeans that garnered another shrug before she tugged them on.

After she finished dressing, she went into the bathroom, frowning at the mess her hair and face were. She didn’t have time to style it, her anxiety curling in her gut and making her hands shake slightly.

Taking a deep breath, she brushed her long black hair out and tied it into a low ponytail, quickly applying mascara and some tinted lip balm; she didn’t have the money for cosmetics, but she wished she had at least a tube of lipstick, or even some lip gloss.

Giving herself one last look in the mirror, Ash nodded; she didn’t look great, but she didn’t look like she’d just rolled out of bed, either. She went back to the bedroom, picking up her boots from last night and lacing them up before going back to the living room.

Elijah was sat on the couch again, his phone in his hand, a bored look on his face. Ash glanced around, noticing her purse was now on the table where she had put her phone; she made her way over, opening it up enough so she could look in and inspect the contents.

“I can assure you, Ms. Rhodes, all of your belongings are where you left them,” She shot him a look, and Elijah shrugged a shoulder, placing his phone back in the pocket of his suit jacket as he moved to stand. “In your purse, I mean.”

“Gee, thanks.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, and she snatched her purse up, content with her own inspection, before taking out her keys and making her way to the front door. “How ever can I repay you for _not_ stealing my shit?”

He chuckled, unlocking and opening her door for her, flashing a genial smile in response to her glare. “Perhaps you could try being more pleasant?”

Ash laughed at that, surprised at the genuine quality it had; she looked at Elijah, and swore she imagined the flash of pride in his eye. “Sorry, bud. This is as pleasant as I get.”

Elijah’s responding laugh made a smile curl her lips, and as Ash locked the door behind them, she realized she wasn’t regretting this as much as she had thought she would.

* * *

The café Elijah brought her to was surprisingly quiet for the time of day, and not nearly as swanky as Ash had expected.

It was a little hole in the wall, a few metal bistro tables in front of the store. The yellow and white stripped awning over the door gave the place a charming feel, and there were window boxes full of purple and pink flowers.

They were seated in the back of the café, the lighting warm and giving a relaxed ambience. The counter ran along the back wall, and there were more tables and booths inside; a few people sat with their noses in their books or laptops, and the smooth jazz playing low over the speakers filled the place.

Ash settled in her seat, looking at her hands to avoid Elijah’s eyes. “I’m surprised I’ve never seen this place before.” She gave a tight smile, uncomfortable with small talk; Elijah smiled, shrugging a shoulder.

“Not many do,” Ash rolled her eyes, biting her lip against her chuckle. Elijah raised a brow, his own eyes dancing. “Have I said something amusing?”

Ash shrugged, finally meeting his eye. “What did you want to talk about?” She flicked her gaze over to the waitress, who gave them a polite smile as she handed them their menus, before glancing back to Elijah.

He hummed, eyes on his menu before he flicked his gaze back to Ash. She huffed a sigh through her nose and picked up her menu, eyes scanning quickly over the options. There seemed to be more coffee than food here, but she brightened upon seeing the muffin display on the counter.

After the waitress came back to take their orders and left with the menus, Elijah straightened in his seat, his dark eyes hard like they had been the first night they spoke together. Ash tried to ignore the shiver the shot down her spine, clearing her throat as she met his eye.

“I need you to tell me where I can find Stefan Salvatore, Ms. Rhodes.” His voice had an edge to it that let Ash know he expected an actual answer, and any attempt at evasion would be unwise.

She sighed, watching him before her eyes flicked over to their waitress, pasting on a pleasant smile as the woman placed their drinks down. Ash sipped on her chai tea, closing her eyes at the warmth and humming; if the tea was this good, she was actually excited for the blueberry muffin she ordered.

Elijah waited patiently for her to reply, sipping his coffee and watching her with an unwavering stare. Taking a breath, Ash sat straighter in her seat, knowing her answer wouldn’t be pleasing. “I don’t know.”

He frowned, his brows drawing close together, and Ash raised a hand before he could speak. “Look; I don’t know where he is, and Damon doesn’t know where he is either,” Elijah tilted his head, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “Stefan got with his friend Lexi, and she helped him out of this. They left about a year and a half ago, and didn’t tell anybody where they were going.”

Elijah sighed, closing his eyes with a nod, one of his hands coming up to rub the bridge of his nose. Ash watched him, worry furrowing her brow. “What do you… Want him for, anyway?” His eyes snapped open, taking her in with an intensity she hadn’t seen before. “Damon said something about Italy. I don’t- know much,” Elijah’s eyes narrowed slightly, tapping his index finger on the table, his other hand covering his mouth. “I’m sorry.”

There was a long moment of silence, in which Ash’s muffin was delivered, their waitress leaving quickly after feeling the tension between them.

Ash waited for him to respond, her heart hammering in her chest. She didn’t think he would do anything in public— that had been part of the reason she had agreed to come— but part of her was getting ready to bolt, if she had to.

With a heavy sigh, Elijah relaxed into his chair, taking a long drink before clearing his throat. “My family is known for many things,” Ash watched as Elijah leaned forward enough to slide her muffin over to her, picking at it when he raised a brow. “The Salvatores were somewhat of a… _Thorn_ in my father’s side.

“A deal had gone south; Giuseppe Salvatore had promised the delivery of a certain antique my father had been interested in collecting. When the men my father had sent arrived to the delivery location, they were mowed down,” At Ash’s surprised look, Elijah gave a humorless chuckle. “Giuseppe did not particularly care for the idea of my family expanding our reach into Sicily.”

Ash shook her head, pursing her lips. “I take it your father didn’t like that.” The widening of his eyes and dipping of his chin paired with the tiny smirk on his lips showed just how correct she was.

“You could say that, yes,” Ash nodded, watching him intently, her muffin forgotten. Damon hadn’t given her much in way of his family history, and from what Elijah was saying, she couldn’t blame him. She did know that Damon hated his father, blamed him for much of his own and Stefan’s issues. “My father, Mikael, killed Giuseppe’s wife, Lillian,” Ash’s mouth popped open despite her best efforts to keep it closed. “Not long after that, we lost track of the Salvatores.”

Ash frowned, her mind fighting to process his words. She wanted to call Damon, confirm the story, but part of her told her that wouldn’t be wise. Elijah hadn’t wanted her to tell Damon or Enzo about their first conversation, and now she could see why. Her gaze hardened as she stared at him, her jaw tight. “I’m not helping you kill them.”

Elijah smiled, shaking his head. “Oh, no, no. I do not want them dead; in fact, I want quite the opposite,” Ash tilted her head, her brows furrowed. “I want to bring Damon and Enzo in under my family— a partnership.”

Ash scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “I doubt Mikael approves of that.”

Elijah grinned, the glint in his eye making her shiver. “Oh, Mikael isn’t alive anymore, Ms. Rhodes,” He chuckled, taking another sip of his coffee. “My brother, Niklaus, had the honor of ending his miserable existence.”

Ash’s eyebrows shot up, a laugh bubbling out of her as well. “I take it you’re not a fan of your father, either?”

Elijah chuckled again, shaking his head. “You could say that, yes.”

Ash chuckled again, before she frowned. “What do you want with Stefan, then?” Elijah sighed at this, his expression becoming serious once more.

“I want to inform both of the Salvatores that any issues my father had with their family died with him,” Ash stared, wide eyed, a small smile playing at her lips. Elijah held up a hand, shaking his head. “My brother, Niklaus, however, has set a time limit on this.”

Ash frowned, sitting forward in her seat. “Um, _why_?”

Elijah rolled his eyes now, annoyance passing over his face before he sighed. “My brother has a penchant for violence. That, and he is a touch paranoid,” Ash gave him a flat look and Elijah chuckled. “He doesn’t want history to repeat itself. While I wish to meet with the Salvatore brothers, and Lorenzo St. John, to discuss a potential partnership and peace, Niklaus intends to test them.”

She shook her head, huffing a laugh through her nose. “Your brother sounds super fun, Elijah.”

He gave a long suffering sigh, closing his eyes as he shook his head. “Oh, you have no idea.”

Ash laughed, sipping on her tea. She hummed, looking at him quizzically. “What is his, uh, _test_ , exactly?”

Elijah rolled his eyes again, pursing his lips. “That, I cannot begin to guess at,” Ash frowned, her brows drawing together. “Niklaus, as I said, is paranoid. He keeps most of his plans to himself, and whatever information he gives is only enough to make you do exactly as he wants.” He sighed, before giving a small smile. “He will be civil at first, though; even Niklaus understands the order of these things.”

Ash relaxed at that, although her frown was still firmly in place. “That still leaves the Stefan problem. I couldn’t even begin to guess where Lexi took him.”

Elijah hummed, finger tapping against the table as he thought. “Do you think Damon would have any idea where Stefan would be?”

Ash shrugged, wincing at her next thought. “I guess… I could try to talk to him about it?” Elijah seemed to perk up at that, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Ash held her hands up, shaking her head as her eyebrows rose. “Hey, I can’t promise anything, though. It was decided it was safer for Stefan if everyone broke contact and didn’t know where he was headed.”

Elijah nodded, but he didn’t seem nearly as tense, now that there was the possibility of a peaceful outcome. “I understand. Thank you, though, Ms. Rhodes.”

Ash shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable under his gaze, her eyes darting down to her mug. “Sure- it’s nothing. You want to help my friends.”

Elijah smiled, watching her fidget, his eyes dancing. “Still. You had no reason to trust me, or offer as much information to me as you did. I appreciate it a great deal.” Ash flushed, biting her lip as she smiled at him. He returned it, and there was a warmth there that made her breath catch before she looked away from him again.

Elijah cleared his throat, sitting straighter. “Finish eating and I will take you home.” Ash nodded, her stomach fluttering as she picked at her muffin again, focused on eating as quickly as possible so she could get home and sort through this mess.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So these next few chapters will come out and then will be updated weekly as I attempt to guide this story somewhere.

By the time Elijah had gotten back to Ash’s apartment, the tension between them had melted slightly. It helped that she knew now he was interested in keeping her friends safe, rather than killing them for something their father did almost thirty years ago. 

She smiled as he parked his car, rolling her eyes slightly. “I can’t believe you _actually_ drive a Bentley.” 

Elijah looked at her, confused. “Why is that so hard to believe?” 

Ash scoffed, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car. “Dude, I have a Honda from the early 2000s, Damon drives a muscle car _he_ fixed himself, and the _only_ reason Enzo drives a Mercedes is because he jacked it.” She waited for him on the sidewalk before leading him back to her apartment. “I guess I mean it’s just kinda crazy that I know somebody who could afford that.” 

Elijah chuckled beside her, hands in his pants pockets as he looked around. “Well, when you have the sort of ties I have, it is very simple to get the finer things.” 

Ash snorted, grinning. “Yeah, I guess that does help quite a bit.” They reached her door, and Ash fished her keys out of her purse to unlock it. Elijah chuckled and Ash pushed open her door, her smile quickly dropping as she laid eyes on a clearly worried Damon. 

Damon shot up from the couch, his eyes narrowing as soon as they landed on Elijah. “Ash?” His voice was hard, his disdain for the man beside her evident in the taught line of his body. “What’s going on here?” 

“Damon, I can explain,” Her voice was rushed, everything in her panicking. This was not how she wanted things to go over, and with a quick glance to Elijah, he seemed to feel much the same. “We just- we just talked.” 

Furious ice blue eyes shot over to her, and Ash gulped as she stepped further into her apartment, Elijah following and closing the door behind them. “Ms. Rhodes is correct, Mr. Salvatore,” Damon moved his glare back to Elijah, who looked wholly unimpressed. “We spoke over breakfast, and I feel we have come to an amenable agreement.” 

Ash nodded, her own eyes desperate. “Damon, seriously. Elijah wants to—,” 

“Oh, so you’re friends now?” Ash groaned, closing her eyes as she fought to calm herself. “And why the _hell_ did you just decide to go have talks with this guy, and not even _pick up your phone_?” 

Ash frowned, shaking her head. “My phone never _rang_ , Damon.” He scoffed, pulling his phone out of his pocket to show her his recent calls. Several outgoing calls to her were on the screen, and she shook her head again. “Wait.” She opened her purse, pulling out her phone, and groaning when she realized it was dead. “Damon, I’m sorry. I didn’t plug it in last night— I didn’t know it died.” 

Elijah cleared his throat, Ash and Damon both looking over to him, the former with guilt over her face, and the latter glaring a hole into him. “I suppose I should take my leave.” 

Ash sighed, and Damon just scoffed. “Yeah,” He sneered, eyes cold. “You really should, _bud_.” 

With a smack to Damon’s arm, Ash turned to Elijah, an apology clear on her face. “I’m sorry, Elijah,” She lowered her voice, eyes earnest. “I’ll talk to him.” He nodded, and Ash opened the door for him, before closing it and whirling back to Damon with a furious glare. “What the _actual_ fuck was that, Damon?!” 

He gave her an incredulous look, scoffing himself as he turned back to sit down on the couch. “I’m sorry, _you’re_ pissed at _me_?” Ash slammed her purse onto the table by the door, shaking her head. 

“Yes! I am!” She marched to the bedroom, sitting down on her bed and unlacing her boots. “He’s actually trying to _help_ you _and_ Stefan _and_ Enzo, and you act like-like a _child_!” 

Damon barked a laugh, and Ash rolled her eyes as she threw her boots aside, marching back into the living room. “Look, Ash, I’m sorry you decided to go to _breakfast_ with a _Mikaelson_ , but I came here to check on you. You didn’t show up to mine for breakfast, so I figure, ‘Huh, maybe she’s still angry about last night’. And like the _wonderful_ friend I am, I come to check on you, apologize, you know. And you aren’t here! And then you don’t answer your phone! And you show up with _him_!” 

Ash shook her head, glaring at him. “Look. I’m sorry about that, Damon. But you need to listen to me. You need to figure out how to get Stefan back here or else you guys _will_ be in danger!” 

Damon frowned, his brows furrowing. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Ash sighed, finally flopping down on the couch next to him. “It _means_ that Elijah wants to make you and Enzo partners. And that the bad blood between your families is dead,” Damon’s eyes widened, and Ash shot him another glare. “Yeah, he told me. And I get it, Damon, but Elijah isn’t the bad guy here. His brother—,” 

Damon’s eyes slammed shut, and his head fell back with a thump against the back of the couch. “Klaus, right?” 

Ash nodded, sighing through her nose. “Yeah. _He’s_ the one you have to worry about. Elijah says Klaus is paranoid, doesn’t want another situation like your father to happen. He wants to ‘test’ you, or whatever that means.” 

Damon gave her a weird look, confusion screwing his handsome face up. “What does _that_ mean?” 

Ash shrugged, shaking her head. “I have no clue. And Elijah says Klaus doesn’t even trust his inner circle, so he has no clue either.” 

Damon groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. “So our only choice is for me to call Stefan, get him back here, and meet up with these assholes— or die?” 

Ash gave him a sympathetic look, patting his shoulder. “Seems like, buddy. How are you going to get ahold of Stefan?” 

Damon shot her a guilty look, or as guilty as Damon _could_ look, and she raised a brow. “I, uh. We’ve been in contact. For the past six months.” 

Ash frowned at him, but she was too tired to be angry at him for lying, and keeping Stefan away from her as well; part of her understood it completely, though. “That’s fine. At least you know where he is. How soon can he get here, do you think?” 

Damon hummed, tilting his head back and forth as he thought. “If I can convince Lexi to let him leave, probably a day.” 

Ash nodded, giving him a tight lipped smile. “Alright. Thank you, Damon.” 

He eyed her, one corner of his mouth tilting up in a familiar smirk that had her own grin forming. “No problem. But I’m doing this for _you_. Not Elijah.” 

Ash rolled her eyes, shoving him. “Damon, he’s not that bad. And he only took me to breakfast because I don’t have anything here, and you _know_ that.” 

Damon rolled his eyes this time, shaking his head as he lightly shoved her back. He stopped after a second, looking at her with narrowed eyes. “Why did you let him in, anyway?” Ash bit her lip, her gaze flicking away as she tried to formulate a reasonable response to that, when the truth was only going to piss him off. Damon narrowed his eyes at her pause, his smile fading. “Ash?” 

She shrugged, helpless, as she looked back at him. “Well, he was… Kind of already in here.” Damon’s eyebrows shot up, and Ash would have laughed at how comical it was, were it not for the anger quickly brewing in his eyes. 

“He was _what_?!” Ash flinched back, and Damon shot up from the couch again, glaring down at her like a furious parent with a rebellious child. “Ash, what the _fuck_?!” 

“Damon, it’s _fine_!” He held a hand up, shaking his head, and she sat up straighter on the couch, her jaw clenching. “I’m not a child! I read the situation, I knew what I was doing!” He glared at her, his jaw twitching with his anger. “He took me to a fucking _café_ ; we were in the open, in public! He bought me breakfast! There isn’t anything nefarious there, Damon!” 

He scoffed, shaking his head as he looked at the front door. “It sounds like you were on a _date_ , the way you’re talking him up.” 

Ash narrowed her eyes, shooting him an incredulous look. “ _What_?” 

Damon shook his head, shooting her one last glare before he rolled his eyes. “You know what. I have to go to work. Why don’t you call _Elijah_ if you want company. I’m sure he can treat you to dinner, as well.” Before she could reply, Damon had slammed the door behind him, leaving Ash alone with her simmering rage and mounting guilt. 

* * *

Ash was glad she had called off work that night, still far too angry from her earlier argument with Damon to deal with customers. She sighed, not really paying attention to the TV, snuggled under a blanket on the couch. 

Her phone was now fully charged, and part of her was screaming at herself for not getting Elijah’s number earlier— she had just figured he had her number already, and hadn’t counted on having a yelling match with her best friend. Again. She glanced over at it, pouting, before rolling her eyes. 

It wasn’t as if she and Elijah were friends, anyway. He just needed her for information. That’s all. She tried not to deflate too much with the thought, gaze returning to the TV screen, some infomercial about a product she didn’t care about. 

She jumped at the knock on the front door, a small smile spreading over her face as she hopped off of the couch, grabbing her wallet out of her purse. Ash opened the door, fully expecting her Chinese delivery, and stopped fully, her mouth opening and closing as she took in the person on the other side. 

The blonde from the bar stood, hands held behind his back, a smirk on his lips, his sea-blue eyes boring into her and keeping her pinned in place. “Hello, love,” He chuckled at Ash’s wide eyed stare, looking past her into her apartment. “Care to invite me in?” 

She blinked a few times, her heart hammering in her chest as she fought down the sudden urge to vomit. “Klaus.” He brightened, grinning when she stepped aside to let him in. Everything in her was screaming at her to not, but she knew he would get in one way or another. 

“You’ve heard of me, then?” His eyes swept over her apartment, wrinkling his nose with distaste before he sat down on the couch, arms spread over the back, and his leg crossed ankle over knee. “That _does_ make this easier.” 

Ash stayed near the door, closing it gently behind her, keeping her eyes on him. Klaus chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Oh, come now, love,” He motioned her further into the room, looking utterly gleeful at her fear. “I’m not going to hurt you. Not while you’re still of use to me.” 

Ash stood across from him, her leg brushing the coffee table as she crossed her arms. “I don’t follow.” 

Klaus sighed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t be daft, Ash,” His eyes glinted, the smirk on his lips sharp edged at her surprise. “Oh, yes— my older brother isn’t the only one able to find things out, love.” 

Ash closed her eyes, her nails biting into the flesh of her arm as she tried to find a way out of this. “What do you want?” 

Klaus smiled pleasantly, but something in it had her more on edge than before. “Well, that’s very simple,” Ash raised a brow, her eyes narrowed. “I just need you to stay out of the way, love.” 

Her brows furrowed, and she shook her head. “What-What do you mean?” 

Klaus frowned now, the glint in his eye more severe, and Ash felt a shiver roll down her spine. “I mean, love, you’ve made yourself quite comfortable in the middle,” He stood, then, towering over her, and Ash fought to meet his eye. “It would be wise of you to stay out of this, before somebody gets hurt.” 

She shivered as he walked past her, and her mind screamed at her to turn around, to keep him in sight. The door opened, and Ash threw a look over her shoulder, frowning at Klaus’s smile. “And do stay away from my brother, love. Bad things tend to happen to the women in his life.” The door slammed shut for the second time that night, and as soon as she had it locked, Ash fell to the floor, adrenaline thrumming through her veins. 


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I’ve never seen Casablanca in my life and the only reason I picked it is bc of the wiki description. Also I’m not quite sure where this thing is... Going... So ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Ash didn’t sleep that night. After Klaus had left, she had been far too wired, and with the knowledge that Elijah had gotten inside while she was asleep, she was far to paranoid to even leave the living room. 

Damon hadn’t called at all, and Ash sighed with the knowledge that he was still pissed. She understood his being angry at her for not picking up her phone, or checking if it was dead, or hell, even asking Elijah to use his. But that last part? She had no idea why he had insinuated Elijah had taken her on a date— it hadn’t been, she knew that. Most dates didn’t involve alerting the other party to a threat on the lives of everyone they cared about. 

Blinking tired eyes at the TV, Ash yawned, stretching out under her blanket and slumping further into the couch. It was early enough that reruns of the original _Charmed_ were playing, and she was happy that she at least had this, considering how awful her night had been. 

She groaned when she heard a knock at the front door, eyes darting over as she huddled deeper into her blanket. Maybe if she was silent, whoever was on the other side would think she was asleep and go away. After a few moments, though, whoever it was knocked again, more urgently, and a little louder. 

With another groan, she threw her blanket back, letting it drape over the back of the couch, and padded over to her door, opening it with a tired glare that vanished as soon as she saw Elijah. 

His brown eyes looked concerned, slightly frantic, as he looked her over, before he looked over her head and into the apartment. Ash frowned, shaking her head with a roll of her eyes. “Yes, Elijah?” Her voice sounded as exhausted as she felt, and Ash just stepped aside to let him in. 

He frowned, stepping into the apartment and closing the door behind him. “You didn’t leave?” 

Ash scoffed, flopping back onto the couch and pulling her blanket back over herself, glaring at Elijah. “No. I’m not fucking _stupid_ , contrary to popular belief.” She returned her attention back to the TV, figuring he could make himself as comfortable as he pleased. “You know, at least Klaus had the decency to knock and wait to be invited in.” She knew he had heard about it, either from Klaus himself or from a different source, and shot him a glare. 

Elijah sighed, moving to sit down in the armchair, watching Ash closely. “I apologize, Ms. Rhodes,” She grunted, covering her mouth when she yawned again, her eyes drooping slightly. Elijah huffed, jaw tight as he tapped his index finger against the arm of the chair. “I take it you didn’t sleep last night?” 

She cut a glare at him again, her brows drawn down low. “No, Elijah, I did not fucking _sleep_ last night. I was too freaked out by the idea of Klaus breaking in here while I was _asleep_!” He frowned at her, lips drawn in a tight line. Ash huffed, rolling her eyes. “Sorry if I’m not _pleasant_ right now. Shit’s kind of fucked, if you haven’t noticed.” 

Elijah sighed, nodding his agreement. They were silent for a while, then, both watching the show, the tension thick enough to slice with a knife. Elijah glanced over after a bit, watching as she fought against the urge to sleep. “What did he want, if you don’t mind my asking.” 

She scoffed again, shaking her head. “Like that’d stop you,” He sighed again, and Ash waved a hand at him. “Oh, calm down.” She sighed, rubbing her eyes as she yawned again. “Ugh. He told me to stay out of things.” 

Elijah furrowed his brow, curiosity flickering in his chocolate eyes. “Did he say why?” Ash laughed, and Elijah rolled his eyes. “Of course. Did he say anything else?” 

Ash frowned, sending him a quick glance before shrugging. “No. Just told me he wanted me out of the middle before somebody ‘ _got hurt_ ’.” She rolled her eyes, sneering. “He’s _really_ dramatic, you know.” 

Elijah gave a long suffering sigh, something Ash guessed was fairly normal for him, and nodded. “He is, yes.” He looked over to her again, worry creasing his brow. “You should call Damon so you can get some sleep.” 

Ash groaned, letting her head drop back to lean on the arm of the couch closest to Elijah, staring at him upside down. “I _would_ but he’s still pissed off at me,” She leaned up, grabbing her phone and tossing it to him, figuring he already knew her password. “Check my recents. He didn’t even call me last night. Like, at all.” 

Elijah placed her phone on the coffee table without even unlocking it, watching as she laid back down. He glanced over to her, studying her for a moment before speaking. “Forgive me,” Ash glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow and Elijah sighed again. “I did not intend to cause any friction between the two of you.” 

Ash waved a hand at him, dismissing the thought. “Oh, it’s not your fault. Damon’s just weird sometimes,” She shrugged, giving him a weird face as she forced herself upright. “I think it’s just his weird way of showing that he cares. He’s not really _good_ with the whole _expressing_ thing.” 

Elijah chuckled, nodding. “I am familiar with the type,” Ash laughed with him, before he continued. “However, I understand where he is coming from. You two are involved, and with Niklaus and I—,” 

“Woah, woah, woah, woah. Slow down there, buddy,” Her voice was doing that anxious-giggle thing it did when she was actually thrown for a loop, her arms shooting out as she waved her hands to stop him. “What do you mean by _involved_?” 

Elijah blinked at her, his surprised expression showing that he was unaccustomed to being interrupted like this. Ash just raised her eyebrows, her expression indicating she expected a reply. Elijah shrugged a shoulder, furrowing his brows. “With the way he reacted yesterday, I had assumed you two were lovers. Was I incorrect in thinking this?” 

Ash laughed, shaking her head. “Oh god, Damon and I together? No, no, no, no. He and I are just really good friends, that is _all_.” She leaned back into the couch, chuckling softly at the thought. 

Elijah looked oddly pleased for a moment before his face became a mask of indifference once more, and Ash raised an eyebrow. A comfortable silence fell over them, then, and Ash yawned for the umpteenth time that morning. Elijah glanced at her, raising a brow, his finger tapping away on the arm of the chair again— Ash filed that little piece of information away for later; it could be a useful tell, and she tried to ignore the part of her that found it cute— before giving a quick nod and turning his attention to her once more. “Go to your room and get some sleep. I shall stay here to ensure nothing happens.” 

Ash stared at him, mouth slightly agape in a shocked smile, her head bobbing up and down as she chuckled. “Excuse me?” 

Elijah blinked at her, giving her a look that said it should be obvious. “You are exhausted, not to mention stressed. You need rest.” 

Ash shook her head, eyebrows furrowing. “Yeah, I am _not_ sleeping with you here.” Elijah smirked at her, raising an eyebrow, and Ash glared at him. “Okay, I am not sleeping when I _know_ you are in here.” 

Elijah heaved a sigh, shaking his head. “You said it yourself- Damon will not come, and you and I are both aware that if I left, you would not sleep either,” Ash glared harder at him, pouting as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I see no other option. Unless,” He grinned at her, the glint in his eye playful, rather than terrifying. “You would like to call your friend Enzo, and have him watch.” 

Ash groaned at that, rolling her eyes at his logic. She knew he was right; she had stayed up because of her paranoia of Klaus breaking in. She did at least have the knowledge that Elijah didn’t do anything when she _didn’t_ know he was there, so she didn’t have any _real_ reason to think he would now. Especially when he hadn’t tried anything the entire time he had been here. 

Heaving a sigh, she forced herself to stand, dragging her blanket behind her and tossing the remote to Elijah, who caught it easily. “Fine,” She tossed a glare over her shoulder, but it lacked any true heat, and Elijah smiled. “Don’t go through my shit.” 

He chuckled at that, his eyes twinkling. “You have my word.” He watched as she stumbled over to the bedroom, tossing a wave over her shoulder before she closed the door, leaving it open just a crack. 

Ash laid down on the bed, sighing in contentment as her head hit the pillow, pulling the blanket over herself and snuggling in. Elijah had had a point; she _was_ exhausted, and she _was_ stressed out. Her best friend was pissed off at her, Klaus had dropped by with thinly-veiled threats— and that had just been one night. 

With a long sigh, Ash closed her eyes, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

When Ash woke up, it was late enough that the setting sun cast the room in an orange glow, and she groaned with her stretch, her toes poking out from the edge of the blanket and her fingers brushing the wall behind the bed. 

She could hear the TV in the living room, and was relieved with the knowledge that Elijah was still here. Sighing, she stared up at the ceiling, hands coming up to rub the sleep from her eyes. 

After another few minutes of laying in bed, Ash finally dragged herself out of the warm cocoon of her blanket, walking over to her door and opening it. 

Elijah was sitting on the couch, his suit jacket folded over the back of the armchair, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. She let her eyes trail down the exposed skin for a moment before walking further into the room. “Hey.” 

Elijah looked up to her, giving her a soft smile. “Did you sleep well?” She nodded and slumped down on the couch next to him, squinting at the TV. 

“What in the hell are you watching?” Elijah shot her a somewhat offended glare, and Ash rolled her eyes. “What? I don’t watch black and white movies.” 

Elijah scoffed beside her, shaking his head. “You mean to tell me you have never seen _Casablanca_ , Ms. Rhodes?” Ash shrugged beside him again, her focus turning back to the movie. 

“I don’t usually watch things made before the 70s.” Elijah made a derisive noise in the back of his throat, shaking his head. Ash snorted, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. 

With a huff, Elijah turned the TV off, setting the remote on the coffee table gently. Picking up his suit jacket, he tossed Ash a smirk, brown eyes dancing. “You should broaden your horizons, Ms. Rhodes,” Ash smirked back at him, rolling her eyes as he walked to the front door. “I highly recommend the film. Good evening.” 

After locking the door behind him, Ash sat back down on the couch with a small smile, picking up the remote and turning the TV back on, spending the rest of her night watching _Casablanca_.


	7. Chapter Seven

By the grace of God and Ash’s own stubbornness, her shift at the diner went off without a hitch. No Mikaelsons showing up out of the blue, Matt was there so she had at least one person she liked to help fend of the hordes of furious middle-class America, and best of all, she wasn’t late getting off her shift. 

With a sigh and a wave to Matt, she left the diner and walked to her car, the dark blue Honda Accord not nearly as shiny as it had been when she’d first purchased it. She smiled to herself as she got into the car, pulling her phone out of her purse and shooting a quick text to Damon that told him she was coming over to the bar first, and he’d better be ready to talk. 

It was barely a half mile drive, and Ash was pulling into a parking space before her phone even buzzed back with Damon’s reply. She parked and took her key out of the ignition. Rolling her eyes and smirking at his reply, she headed to the front door of the little dive she thought of as a second home. 

Damon waved a hand at her from the back of the bar, a grin spreading across his face as Ash raised a hand in a wave. She walked over to her favorite stool, gently tossing her purse on the bar next to her and grinning when Damon tucked it behind the bar. 

“You’re cheery today,” He raised a dark brow, blue eyes narrowed playfully. “Did you kill someone or is the world about to end, and I’m the last one to find out?” 

Ash scoffed, shaking her head. “No, _ass_. Just had a good day, is all. Which is weird, considering it’s Monday, and I had to work a day shift…” She trailed off, narrowing her eyes before she shrugged. “And plus, I don’t think we’ve ever, like, been angry at each other for more than a day, so? Sue me.” 

Damon chuckled, grabbing a whiskey glass and setting it in front of Ash before pouring her drink. “Oh, hey, I called Stefan, by the way,” Ash perked up, taking a sip of her drink with a raised brow. “Lexi gave him the OK, so he’ll be here by Wednesday.” 

“That’s great!” Damon shrugged, looking less convinced. Ash furrowed her brows, her smile fading. “Isn’t it?” 

He gave another shrug, leaning onto the bar so they could speak quietly without fear of being overheard. “I just don’t want him getting dragged back in, that’s all.” 

Ash sighed, waving her hand at him. “Elijah said he wanted you and Enzo. All he said about Stefan was that he and Klaus need to make sure you both check out,” She smirked, raising a brow. “Guess you can blame your dad for that one, too.” 

Damon grunted, still not looking totally convinced. “I’m… Not as worried about Elijah, really,” At Ash’s surprised smirk, Damon glared at her. “I’m worried about _Stefan_. You know what happened last time, Ash.” 

She shook her head, placing her glass down on the bar so she could spin it on the surface of the wood. “I remember, Damon. And so does Enzo. It’s why you guys got out of drugs.” Damon nodded, and Ash gave him a small, reassuring smile as she patted his hand. “And we’ll be able to watch him. He really wanted to get sober, Damon. He wouldn’t have left with Lexi, otherwise,” Damon gave her a look that said he didn’t really believe that, and Ash squeezed the back of his hand with hers. “Trust him.” 

Damon watched her for a moment, his blue eyes flicking between Ash’s, before a small smile pulled the corners of his lips up, and he turned his hand to give Ash’s hand a squeeze. “Thanks, Ash. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

Ash snorted, taking her hand back to take another drink. “Probably die, let’s be real.” 

Damon gasped, giving her a glare without any true heat, a smirk threatening to overtake him. “Alright, get out. You’re done.” 

Ash laughed, her eyes dancing. “Oh, Mr. Salvatore, if you get rid of me, whoever will do your books for you?” 

Damon wagged his eyebrows, grinning at her. “Oh, I’ll let Enzo do them. And then we’d land our asses in prison for real.” 

Ash giggled, shaking her head. “Please, for the love of all that is holy, do _not_ let Enzo touch those,” She narrowed her eyes at him again, a smirk curling her lips. “While I’m on that, you stay away from them, too. You’re both great with cars, but shit with numbers.” 

Damon laughed with her, nodding his agreement. “Yeah, well, you’re shit with cars, so it balances out.” 

Ash gave Damon a wide grin, giving him a high five over the bar and finishing off her drink. “Hey, I know my strengths and weaknesses. It’s why I hang around you two.” She winked at him, biting her lip against her laugh at his shocked gasp, watching as his hand shot up to the collar of his shirt like he was wearing pearls. 

“How _could_ you? And here I thought you kept me around for my devastatingly good looks.” Ash gave an incredulous scoff, shaking her head. 

“I don’t need you for that, Salvatore,” She smirked again, raising a brow as she winked. “ _I’ve_ got that covered.” 

They laughed together, then, and Damon filled her glass back up, eyes flicking over her shoulder before a scowl overtook his features. Ash narrowed her eyes, sipping her whiskey as she raised her gaze to the mirror behind the bar and saw Elijah headed their way, his stride confident and sure. “ _Great_ ,” Ash glanced back over at Damon and raised a brow. “Just what I fucking needed.” 

She leaned in before Elijah reached them, her voice low. “Don’t be a prick, Damon, he’s probably just here to see where we landed with Stefan.” Damon shot her a glare before pasting on a saccharine smile when Elijah sat on the stool next to Ash. 

Ash shot Elijah a tight smile, nodding and giving a small wave. He returned the nod, raising an eyebrow to Damon, who still looked too friendly to be comforting. Ash resisted the urge to smack him, barely, and shot him a warning glare. Damon ignored it, ice blue eyes locked on Elijah. “Can this wait? We’re talking.” Ash winced, closing her eyes with a heavy sigh. 

“Am I interrupting, Mr. Salvatore?” Elijah’s voice was tight in a way Ash hadn’t heard before, and she raised her eyebrows to herself as she nursed her drink. “Because I can assure you, my patience is quickly waning. You seem to forget that _I_ am the only party interested in keeping the lives of yourself, your brother, and your partner safe.” 

Ash watched Damon, her body tense. Elijah was right; he had been pretty patient. But even Ash knew that when Damon didn’t particularly care for someone, he wasn’t shy about making it known— whether that was a good idea, or not. 

Damon scoffed, and Ash winced. “Oh, I am so _sorry_ ,” Looking to the ceiling, Ash wondered if she could get out of here, maybe find Enzo, because even Enzo was preferable to the tension flowing between the three of them now. “Let me get down and show my gratitude for coming into our lives and fucking it up with your crazy family.” 

Elijah said nothing for a moment, and Ash glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, wincing at the sharp edged smile he sent to Damon. He leaned forward enough to rest his hands on the bar, dark eyes locked on Damon’s own, and flickering with something that made Damon look uncertain for a moment. 

“Mr. Salvatore,” His voice was low, Elijah’s impatience with the other man evident. “I have been quite tolerant with your lack of respect,” Ash shivered at the glint in his eye, fully aware that this man was a member of one of the most bloodthirsty crime families in the world. While he could be pleasant and civil, the amount of blood on the hands of the Mikaelson siblings spoke to their true natures. “However, I find myself quickly growing tired of it. Should I find myself in this position again, I can assure you, Niklaus will be the least of your worries, have I made myself clear?”

With a pleasant smile, Elijah leaned back in his seat, watching Damon. Ash watched him as well, tense as she waited for his reaction. Thankfully, Damon wasn’t actually stupid, and just gave a nod in reply, much to Ash’s relief. 

“Wonderful,” Elijah seemed to relax after that, sending Damon a polite smile. “Now, would you mind bringing out that bourbon I had when I first came?” Damon huffed a sigh through his nose, nodding with a tight smile before heading into the storage room, the door closing behind him a little harder than necessary. 

Ash sighed with a wince, setting her empty glass down on the bar and shaking her head and looking over to Elijah. “Rough day?” 

He exhaled long and slow through his nose, rubbing the bridge of it while shaking his head. “Is it that obvious?” Ash snorted a laugh, turning on her barstool to face him a little better. Elijah glanced up at her, a small smile playing at his lips.

Ash smiled back and shrugged, before hopping off of her stool and rounding to the end of the bar, popping the bar flap and stepping behind the bar. She filled her glass up before looking back to Elijah and leaning against the front of the bar. “Well, I haven’t seen you look like you _actually_ wanted to murder somebody until just then, so… Call it a lucky guess.” 

Elijah smirked at her, raising a brow. “You seem to be in a much better mood than when we last met.” 

Ash smiled, lifting her glass to her lips with a shrug. “For once in my life, work didn’t suck and we weren’t understaffed,” She gestured to the storage room door, rolling her eyes as she shook her head. “Plus, I made up with that idiot, so, you know.”

Elijah watched her for a moment, something flickering in the honey flecks of his eyes. She raised an eyebrow, moving to get out from behind the bar, lest Damon come back and chew her head off for being back here. “I apologize for that, Ms. Rhodes.”

She shrugged, giving Elijah an odd look. “What? For snapping at him?” Ash scoffed, setting her glass down as she got back onto her stool. “He was being an ass,” She waved a hand at him, grinning. “Totally deserved that.” 

Elijah gave her a small smile before the storage room door opened again, and Damon came back out with Elijah’s bourbon, setting it down on the bar and slamming a glass in front of him. Elijah raised a brow at him, and Damon just rolled his eyes while he filled Elijah’s glass. 

“Oh, yeah,” Damon snapped his fingers, leaning against the back bar, his arms crossed over his chest. “Before I forget, I was able to get ahold of Stefan. He’ll be here Wednesday.” 

Elijah nodded, looking mildly pleased as he sipped his bourbon. “Excellent,” He set the glass down, looking at both Ash and Damon for a moment. “Then we can all meet on Friday. I expect to see yourself, Stefan, and Enzo at this address at 8 o’clock sharp.” Elijah slid a paper over to Damon, quickly finishing off his drink. “Do not be late, Mr. Salvatore.” 

Elijah stood, buttoning his suit jacket with a small smirk. He glanced to Ash, amusement dancing behind his eyes. “Ms. Rhodes. I’ll be in touch.” 

He left before either of them said anything, and Ash watched him leave, biting her lip as she let her eyes trail down to his ass. Smirking to herself, she turned back to Damon with raised brows. “So, are you excited, or what?” 

Damon gave her a flat look, sneering at the address written on the scrap of paper in his hand. “I think I’d be happier if I just got told my execution date.” 

Ash frowned, running her finger along the rim of her glass. “Is it really so bad? You and Enzo have been waiting for a break like this for a year now. The Mikaelson family is well-known, even here. Business would be better,” She tilted her head, shrugging. “Plus, you’ll have protection.” 

Damon sighed and leaned against the bar top, frowning. “I get that, but I just don’t know if it’s worth it.” 

Rolling her eyes, Ash scoffed and shot Damon a look. “Dude. Put your fucking ego aside for _one_ second and think rationally,” She put her hand up to emphasize her point, glaring when Damon rolled his eyes. “Not only does working with the Mikaelsons help you on the business end of things, but it’s going to clear up any bad history between your families,” Leaning in, she stared right into his icy blue eyes, ensuring her point would be made. “Which means you _and_ Stefan will finally be free of your father.” 

Damon glared at her, his mouth pulled into a thin line. Ash sat back in her seat with a smirk, knowing she had won him over when he groaned and rolled his eyes. “Okay, _fine_ ,” He shot her another glare, this one more playful than angry. “But don’t think I’m gonna be _friends_ with these people. They’re pricks.” 

Ash laughed, her eyes dancing when Damon cracked a smile. “Don’t worry,” She finished her drink, slamming the glass down. “I don’t think any of us will get _that_ close to any of the Mikaelsons.” 


	8. Chapter Eight

It was a little after midnight when Ash finally drove back home. Damon had offered to let her stay at his place until Stefan came back, but she didn’t want another argument to pop up; both of them were stressed out, Damon more so than Ash for obvious reasons. She understood his hesitation in bringing Stefan back; the Mikaelsons had their fingers in many pies, and Ash wouldn’t be surprised if they needed Damon and Enzo’s particular skills elsewhere. 

Walking from the parking lot to her apartment, Ash pulled her keys out of her purse, letting them jingle as she swayed her arm back and forth. Stefan had landed and would be here the next day— he and Lexi were staying at a hotel near the airport, and Damon and Enzo were going to pick them up in the morning. 

With a smile and a wave to one of her neighbors, who was out walking their dog, Ash walked up to the door of her apartment before she stopped short, something close to dread settling in her stomach. With a deep breath and her mind screaming at her to get back into her car, she unlocked and pushed open the door, her breath catching at the sight of Klaus sitting in the armchair. 

He didn’t look too pleased, and Ash took in a shuddering breath as she shut the door behind herself. “So, do you and your brother just, like, always break in when you want to talk to people, or am I just special?” 

Klaus gave a humorless huff of a laugh, eyes steady on Ash’s own; they were cold and hard, and she felt a shiver roll down her spine. She shuffled in place, her fingers gripping the leather strap of her purse tight enough that her knuckles were white. He watched her for a moment longer before he uncrossed his legs, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair to steeple his fingers. “Was I not clear the other night, Ash?” 

She frowned, her eyebrows drawing together as she folded her arms across her chest, standing taller under his gaze. “I haven’t done anything.” 

Klaus shook his head, a smirk curling his lips as he chuckled darkly. “See now, love, I disagree,” Ash narrowed her eyes at him, her jaw tight. “Running about getting information to Damon, even continuing to see my brother,” At her startled look, Klaus smirked. “Oh yes, I am quite aware of his visit after our first chat.” He lowered his hands before standing, any trace of humor gone from his face. “Does that sound like staying out of it to you, Ash?” 

“So, what? You want me to just- not tell them _anything_? They’re my friends, and I’m not going to stand by and let you screw Elijah’s plan up so you can kill them.” Ash didn’t know where that had come from, and the almost impressed twinkle in Klaus’s eye was gone as quickly as it had appeared. 

He chuckled as he took a step towards her, stepping around the coffee table and putting his arms behind his back. Ash stood her ground, lifting her chin and meeting his eye. “And what makes you think that’s my plan, hm?” 

Ash rolled her eyes, then, shaking her head with a small scoff. “It’s not exactly a secret about how your family handles perceived threats, Klaus,” She tossed him a smirk, her eyes narrowed. “Part of the whole infamy thing.”

Another humorless chuckle and another step forward had Ash backing up into the front door, her back pressing against the solid wood. Klaus had a sharp grin, the coldness in his eyes making her stomach churn. “Knowing that, would you consider it wise to go against me?” 

Ash chuckled this time, her own smirk curling her lips up. “Considering what you want is to screw up the lives of everyone I care about, yes.” 

Klaus nodded, his eyes twinkling with his grin. “Ah, yes. You do have quite the history of doing _anything_ necessary to defend those you care for, don’t you?” 

She took a step forward, almost a foot of distance now between them, and glared at him. “You don’t know me.”

Klaus gave her a look so gleeful it honestly gave her pause for a moment. He let his eyes trail down her for a moment, before another smirk curled his lips. “Ah, of _course_ not. But do remember, love, we all have a past.” Ash glared harder at him, clenching her jaw. Klaus just laughed, turning to sit back down in the armchair. “I actually have something else I’d like to discuss with you.” 

Ash scoffed, finally setting her purse down on the table next to the door before turning to face him again, her arms crossed tight over her chest. “What?” 

Klaus smiled at her, but she didn’t trust it. He waved her over, and Ash trudged to the couch, sitting down on the side furthest from him. He watched her with clear amusement, crossing his legs. “Elijah isn’t the only one with plans here, love,” At her confused stare, he rolled his eyes with a sigh. “I am ready to discuss a partnership.” 

Ash rolled her eyes, sneering at him. “Well, luckily for you, Elijah is trying to set one of those up. In just a few short days—,” 

“With _you_ , Ash.” 

She stared at him, her mouth opening and closing for a few moments as her brain raced to catch up. Klaus just sat, a self-satisfied smirk curling his lips up while his eyes danced at her clear shock. “I-I— _what_?” 

Klaus chuckled, settling further into the armchair to get comfortable, and Ash realized that this little chat might be a little longer than she’d expected. “Well, you clearly wish to help your friends, and you aren’t content in staying out of it, so,” He shrugged, raising his eyebrows. “Why not be a part of it?” 

Ash narrowed her eyes at him, her eyebrows drawn together. “And just what do you think I could do for you? I’m just friends with Damon and Enzo, I’m not involved in the business.” 

Klaus shook his finger at her, chuckling. “Now, don’t lie to me, Ash,” She pursed her lips, jaw tight as she clenched her fists. “That mind of yours is… Rather good at remembering numbers, isn’t it?” He grinned, and Ash sighed, her eyes slamming shut. 

“What do you want?” 

He rolled his eyes, dropping his hand back to tap his fingers on the arm of the chair with an unimpressed look. “Is it not obvious?” At Ash’s responding glare, Klaus heaved a sigh. “And here I thought you were intelligent. We have plenty of… _Delicate_ accounts that would fare far better under your care.” 

Ash sighed, dropping her head into her hands. “You want me to keep two sets of books for you? What happens if you get caught?” 

Klaus smirked, leaning back to kick his feet up on her coffee table. She watched him with a bland stare, her mouth pulled into a thin line and her jaw clenched. “That’s the benefit of employing someone with your particular skill set. You’re able to keep them by hand, and memorize the rest, yes?” At her nod, he smiled. “The physical copies will pass any audit, and the other leaves no paper trail. However,” His voice hardened then, his gaze hard on Ash. “Considering the illegal information will only be in your head, do understand that makes you a rather… _Invaluable_ asset.” 

Ash glared, dropping her hands now and sitting up straighter. “That doesn’t exactly sound like a _partnership_.” Klaus shrugged, his mouth kicked up in a knowing smirk while his eyes went cold. Ash nodded, closing her eyes as she heaved a sigh. “I don’t have an option, though, do I?” 

He chuckled again, and Ash opened her eyes to watch him. “Of course you do, love,” He stood, pulling his phone out and typing out a quick text before placing the device back in his pocket. “You can either show up, or we can have a far less pleasant meeting next time.” He smiled as he walked to the door, plucking Ash’s phone out of her purse and tossing it to her. She glanced down to see a text from an unknown number, glancing up at Klaus. “Oh, and let’s keep this between us, shall we?”

Ash didn’t have time to respond before he slammed the door behind himself, and Ash groaned as she slumped into the cushions beneath her. She unlocked her phone and pulled the text up, glancing down at the address and the time and date— same place and time as Elijah’s. Something told her that her being there would be a surprise for everyone involved, and Ash let her head drop back onto the back of the couch. 

So much for an easy night. 

X

Ash awoke to pounding on her front door, and she rolled off of the couch to land on her back, her knee catching the coffee table. She groaned on impact, laying there for a moment as she stared up at the ceiling, wondering why the _hell_ she thought it had been a good idea to pass out there last night while cursing the asshole on the other side of the door. 

“God, I’m getting too old for this,” She muttered under her breath as she forced herself up, stumbling over to the front door and ripping it open, her mood instantly turning for the worse at seeing Enzo’s bright, cheery smile. “God dammit.” 

“Good morning to you too, darling,” Ash groaned as she pushed the door open wide enough for him to come in, going to flop onto the couch while Enzo closed the door. “What’s got you in such a mood?” 

Ash gave him a disgusted look, her eyes narrowed. “Well, I opened the door to _you_ , so. And I fell asleep on the couch, and evidently your thirties is when your body hates you.” Enzo gave her a sympathetic look, leaning up against the kitchen bench. 

“Ah, aging. Life’s biggest _fuck you_ , isn’t it?” Ash chuckled, bringing her hands up to rub at her eyes. “Anyway, there is a reason I’m here, Ash.” She dropped her hands to give him a questioning look, squinting at him. Enzo didn’t just drop by— they were able to work together, sure, but they didn’t exactly _like_ one another— so Ash knew it was a genuinely serious matter. She sighed, nodding at him to continue. “It’s about the Mikaelsons.” 

She groaned, dropping her head back to stare up at the ceiling, eyes tracing the cracks. “What is it?” Her annoyance seeped into her voice; if she never had to think about that family again, she would die happy. 

“Damon told me about Elijah _stopping by_ ,” Ash lifted her head up enough to shoot him a glare and raise her eyebrow, and Enzo raised his hands up in defense. “Hey, I’m not here to judge you, darling. Just here to tell you to be careful.” His brown eyes held a concern that made Ash pause for a moment, and she sat up to look at him properly. 

Enzo gave her a soft smile, one that was so rare that it made the corners of her own lips lift up in their own smile. “Thanks, Enzo. I-I’ve got it handled.” She didn’t exactly believe herself, knew that Klaus clearly had something planned for her, but Enzo looked like he did, and that was good enough for her. 

He cleared his throat and clapped his hands before rubbing them together, and Ash chuckled to herself. “Right. Well, Damon and I are off to get Lexi and Stefan. You sure you don’t want to come?” 

Ash waved him off, standing up from the couch. “No, it’ll be too crowded if I do. Plus, it’s just a three hour drive, round trip. It’s not like I won’t see you all when you get back.” 

Enzo nodded, giving a small shrug before he opened the door. Ash followed after, holding onto the door while Enzo crossed the threshold. He stopped and turned to her, his brown eyes searching her own. Ash just gave him a smile she hoped wasn’t shaky, and went to close the door, but Enzo stopped her. He was frowning, squinting down at her. “Is there something wrong, Ash?” 

“No. No,” She sighed, closing her eyes for a second before looking at him again, and giving another smile. “Everything is going to be fine.” 

With a nod, Enzo turned and Ash closed the door gently, leaning against it with a sigh as she locked it and slid down to sit on the floor. She closed her eyes, already feeling exhausted even though she had just woken up. Part of her knew that things weren’t going to get any easier from here. 


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lexi and Stefan! And a little bit of something ;) Let me know what you guys think!

To say Ash was excited to finally see Stefan and Lexi after a year apart was an understatement. She had been close to both of the Salvatores, although she and Damon had always been a little closer. Lexi had been the only person Ash would ever allow to be blunt enough to make Ash get her shit together. Smirking to herself and letting her head fall back against the outside wall of the dive, Ash felt grateful that the other woman had come with Stefan. 

Damon texted her that they were about fifteen minutes out, and to meet them at the bar. They kept it closed for the day, everyone agreeing that uninterrupted quality time with each other was definitely needed before Friday came. 

At the thought of Friday night, Ash frowned, staring at the sidewalk and watching a line of ants truck by. She knew Damon and Enzo were going to be displeased with her being at that meeting, both knowing that she didn’t particularly care for being directly involved with their line of work. 

Klaus had made his point though, and Ash knew she didn’t have any other choice than to show up and act however Klaus wanted her to. Her life was in his hands now, and she cursed herself for caring about these assholes, instead of just sticking to herself like she had originally planned when she first came here. 

After a few more minutes of drowning in her dread, Damon’s blue Camero pulled up and into one of the parking spots near the door. Ash smiled when the doors opened, all four people pouring out, and she pushed off of the wall to meet them. 

Stefan met her first, a warm smile on his handsome face. He looked so much better now, a year of sobriety having done wonders for the man— he had filled out, his cheeks not so sunken, and he had clearly been working out over the past year. 

Throwing her arms around his neck, Ash giggled as he picked her up and spun her around before setting her down, settling his hands on her shoulders. “Hey,” Her voice sounded happy, happier than she’d been in a year, and maybe it was because the time away had really been good for him. 

Stefan grinned, his green eyes flicking between Ash’s own, a knowing there that made her wonder if Lexi wouldn’t be the only one talking to her about current events. “Hey.” Ash pulled him in for another hug, closing her eyes as she fisted his shirt. 

A moment later, she was being yanked into Lexi, the blonde woman grinning widely. Ash returned the smile, hugging Lexi tight. “You know,” Lexi’s familiar voice washed over Ash, and she felt relief for a brief moment. “You could have called a _few_ times.” 

Ash pulled back, giving Lexi a flat look and a raised brow. “Hey, I didn’t even know Stefan and Damon were talking,” She threw a glare at Damon over Lexi’s shoulder, who just shrugged and held his hands up. “ _For six months_ until just recently, so it’s not my fault I thought you two were still flying under the radar.” 

Lexi tossed Damon a glare and he just rolled his eyes, walking over to the door with Enzo. “Oh, come on, you could have _asked_.” He rolled his eyes, smirking at the two women as he unlocked the door for everyone, holding it open. 

As soon as she could, Lexi latched on to Ash’s arm, dragging her over to a booth in the back. Ash shot the other woman a confused look, to which Lexi just raised a brow and sat down across from Ash. “And what are we doing back here?” 

Lexi rolled her eyes, pursing her lips as she watched Ash squirm for a moment. “Something’s up with you, Ash.” 

Ash scoffed, rolling her eyes while her fingers tapped a rhythm on the table. “Of course something is up with me, Lex. The Mikaelsons are in town and are up Damon and Enzo’s asses.” She licked her lips, refusing to meet Lexi’s eye. “Plus, shouldn’t we be over with the guys, celebrating?” 

Lexi raised a perfectly arched brow, her hazel eyes narrowing while she smirked. “I think the boys will be fine while we have a little chat, Ash,” She leaned forward, Ash gulping as she focused her attention on the table. “You know I’m not gonna leave you alone about this, so you might as well fess up now. Save us both some trouble.” 

Ash sank down, pursing her lips as she twiddled her fingers. “Can I at least get a drink before we do this? I’m too sober for this.” Lexi gave her a flat look, but nodded anyway, and Ash got up to trudge over to the bar. 

Damon had already poured her a glass, and passed it over to her while he and Enzo regaled Stefan with the story about the time they almost got busted jacking a car, barely losing the cops. Ash tossed a look back to Lexi, who pointed to Ash’s vacated seat. 

With a frown, she eyed Damon and snagged the bottle while he wasn’t looking and made her way back to Lexi, the other woman watching her expectantly. Ash slid into the booth, setting her glass and the bottle down before heaving a long sigh. “Look, I can’t exactly… Talk about it, Lex.” 

Lexi didn’t look impressed, raising both of her eyebrows as she grabbed the bottle and took a swig. Ash didn’t say anything— realistically, the bottle wouldn’t survive the night. “Then don’t get into the specifics.” At Ash’s hesitant look, Lexi narrowed her eyes and leaned in. “Ash. What’s going on?” 

Ash tightened her grip on her glass, slugging back the two fingers before squeezing her eyes shut. She figured it would come up sooner or later, but she couldn’t tell anybody what was happening. Klaus would hear about it— the Mikaelsons clearly had eyes around town, and she wouldn’t bet against the bar being bugged. 

Looking back into the warm hazel of Lexi’s eyes, Ash frowned, her eyes going hard and her jaw set. “I can’t talk about it, Lexi. I’m sorry.” 

Lexi frowned, watching Ash intently while the woman poured herself another two fingers. “You’ve really stuck yourself in it this time, huh?” 

Ash scoffed again, rolling her eyes as she nursed her drink. “You could say that.” 

“Are you going to be okay?” The concern lacing Lexi’s voice eased some of the tension in Ash’s hunched shoulders, and Ash shot her a smile she hoped was reassuring. 

“I hope so, Lex.” 

* * *

It was late when everybody finally decided to go home. Enzo had gotten a cab with Lexi— it was clear that the two of them were civil but there wouldn’t be any chance of _anything_ happening between them, and Enzo had the extra room at his apartment. Stefan had driven himself and Damon home, having stayed sober for the night. 

Ash was currently leaned up against the outside wall of the bar, fumbling with her purse in search of her phone. She was a little more tipsy than usual, the world spinning at a clip she was fairly certain was not normal, and she swayed on her feet as she searched. 

She could have sworn she’d put it in there, and she squinted as she moved things around. With a start and a giggle, she dropped her hand down to her back pocket, snorting when she found the device there. “Oops,” She sounded drunk to her own ears, and patted herself on the back for not driving herself home. 

She was distracted enough that she didn’t notice the car that had pulled up, but when she glanced up and saw a vaguely familiar luxury car, she felt her lips pull into a smile. She gave a little wave, fumbling her phone before catching it and snickering to herself. 

The driver door opened and Elijah stepped out, an amused look on his face as he watched Ash sway on her feet. “Are you feeling alright, Ms. Rhodes?” He came closer, his hands in his pants pockets while his eyes skipped over her form. 

Ash gave him a smile, shrugging. “I feel— pretty alright, actually,” That sounded perfect to her ears, but at Elijah’s raised brows, she assumed it was a little more slurred than she intended. She gave another shrug, giggling while she slipped her phone in her purse and stumbled forward. Elijah caught her arm, steadying her, and she blinked up at him, biting her lip. “Okay, I’m- I’m a _little_ drunk.” 

Elijah chuckled, the sound deep, and Ash bit her lip as it washed over her. He smirked down at her, his brown eyes dancing as he dropped his hand. “I would say that is an understatement, Ms. Rhodes.” 

She scowled up at him, pursing her lips. “What’re you doin’ here anyway?” She grinned suddenly, poking him in the chest. “Do you got people watching me?” 

Elijah chuckled again, and Ash thought she really loved that sound right now. It was a very nice sound; deep, and warm, and rumbled up from his chest in a way that had her shivering. “No, Ms. Rhodes,” His voice snapped her back from her thoughts, and she watched him as she bit her lip. “I do not have people watching you.” 

Ash chuckled, shaking her head as she took a step closer to him. Elijah watched her, his eyes curious, and her teeth dug further into her lip. “Liar,” Her voice was soft, and he smirked down at her, the brown of his eyes darkening ever so slightly. When she swayed again, he stepped forward in the guise of steadying her, both of his hands settling on her shoulders. 

Her heart was racing, and part of her was screaming that this was a bad idea; the alcohol, on the other hand, was telling her to do what she wanted for once in her life. She licked her lips, her breath catching when his eyes shot down to watch. “I… May have a few eyes on you, Ms. Rhodes,” She shivered at the husky note in his voice, and she felt a curl of heat settle in her gut. “You are of interest to my family, after all.” 

They were drawing closer, the space between them growing shorter and shorter until their breaths were mingling. She smirked, her eyes on his. “Is it just your family that has an interest in me, Elijah?” His lips tilted into a smirk, and they were a hairsbreadth apart, their lips nearly touching, when a phone started to ring. 

Elijah snapped away, the absence of his hands startling as Ash blinked in shock. He had turned away from her, his phone pressed to his ear, his body a tense line. She bit her lip, her heart thundering in her chest as her mind raced. 

Kicking herself, she stumbled back to lean against the wall of the bar, fishing for her phone again. Some of the drunken haze had left in the abruptness of the interruption, and she knew she would be regretting it in the morning. Tossing a quick look to Elijah, she frowned to herself as she watched him pace back and forth. Whatever the call was, it seemed important, and she sighed as she pulled up the cab company’s information. 

She was in the process of dialing the number when Elijah cleared his throat. Ash looked up at him, forcing down the flush that colored her cheeks. “If you would like, I could drive you home.” He sounded stiff, and Ash felt her heart sink as the awkwardness of the situation set in. 

“Oh, no, I- uh. Got the cab company pulled up,” She showed him her phone, giving him a thin lipped smile. Elijah’s jaw tightened, and he pursed his lips. “I don’t want to inconvenience you, Elijah.” 

He shook his head, frown still firmly in place, but Ash didn’t know how to say ‘Sorry, I don’t want to be in a car with you for twenty minutes, because we were just about to make out and we got interrupted, and now it is _really_ awkward’ without being, well, _awkward_. 

“I assure you, Ms. Rhodes, it is of no inconvenience to me.” At her hesitation, he gave her a small smile, some of the warmth returning to his eyes. “Please. I would feel much better knowing you got home safe.” 

She sighed, pushing off of the wall and putting her phone back in her purse. “Alright. Just as long as it won’t cause you problems.” 

Ash was sure she imagined the look of relief that crossed his face, it was gone so quick. “Again, I can assure you, it won’t,” He guided her to the passenger side, opening the door for her and helping her in— she tried not to notice how his touch didn’t linger now, or how her heart ached at the thought. He closed the door for her, and Ash set to fumbling with her seatbelt, hoping that she could focus on that instead of Elijah for one moment. 

It didn’t help that this was his car, and the fact that his cologne just happened to cling to the leather enough for her to notice it _definitely_ did not help her situation. 

Elijah got in quickly, and they were both silent as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main street. Ash had her purse in her lap, her hands fisted in the leather to keep them from shaking, and she kept her attention to the passing streets in her window. 

They rolled to a stop, the red light casting a glow on the street and on the dash. Elijah’s hand carefully covered one of Ash’s own, and she snapped her gaze to it, freezing for a moment before looking to him. He was watching her, his gaze warm, and Ash felt her heart flutter. “Ms. Rhodes,” Her name was a whisper on his lips, and she nodded slowly, afraid that if she spoke he would stop. 

The light went green, and Ash wanted to scream— what the _hell_ was with today? Elijah’s face showed he felt a similar way, but he kept holding her hand, his grip tightening when he realized she wasn’t pulling away. 

They got to her apartment quickly after that, the late hour meaning most of the lights were green and there wasn’t much traffic. Elijah parked, turning to face her before she could speak. “Ms. Rhodes,” He tried again, his eyes flickering between her own. He swallowed, licking his lips while his grip on her hand tightened slightly. “I… I must apologize for my behavior earlier. I shouldn’t have behaved in that manner; it was inappropriate.”

Whatever joy Ash was feeling suddenly deflated, the sting of rejection setting in. Rationally, she knew she should be grateful for this— it made the whole Klaus thing easier, anyway. She wasn’t feeling very rational at the moment, however, and snatched her hand away. “No, I’m sorry. Thanks for the ride, Elijah.” 

She got out of his car, slamming the door shut and marching to her apartment. She was fishing her keys out when she got to her door, frantically digging for them as she heard him following after. 

Ash was jamming her key into the lock when she looked over her shoulder and saw Elijah walking over quickly. She shoved inside quickly, slamming and locking the door behind her while she slid down to the floor. This was stupid; _she_ was stupid. She rolled her eyes when he started knocking, his voice calling out to her muffled by the wood. 

“Ms. Rhodes,” The man was persistent, she’d give him that. Ash stood, rubbing her face as she slammed her purse down on the little table next to the door. “Ash, please.” She froze at her first name— Elijah hadn’t ever said it before, and Ash felt her will to keep ignoring him crumble. 

She sighed as she unlocked and opened the door, looking up at Elijah from the tiny crack she allowed. A flicker of something Ash didn’t want to name crossed his face, and she raised an expectant eyebrow at him. Sighing, he cleared his throat. “Ms. Rhodes— Ash. Please, allow me to explain.” 

His eyes urged her to open the door and allow him inside, and despite herself, Ash found herself pulling the door open the rest of the way. Elijah stepped over the threshold, and Ash watched as he made his way in, pacing the short distance between her couch and dining table. She closed the door, her arms coming up to wrap around herself. 

“Elijah, I get it,” He stopped and watched her, his brow furrowing. “It’s not a good idea.” His jaw clenched and Ash looked away, biting her lip. 

Elijah stepped closer to her, reaching out to take one of her hands into his own. Ash watched him, digging her teeth further into her lip. “I need you to understand it is not for a lack of- of _wanting_ , Ash.” 

She sighed, nodded. Elijah watched her intently, the honey flecks in his eyes warm, but the apprehension was still there. He raised his free hand, tucking some of the hair in her face behind her ear. “Then what is it?” She knew, logically. Klaus had given her a reason the first night they had spoken— bad things happened to the women in Elijah’s life. 

Elijah sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, before opening them again and staring into Ash’s own. His hand cupped her jaw, and he leaned down to touch their foreheads together. “It wouldn’t be safe, Ash,” His voice was a whisper, but the desperation in his voice was clear; part of her warmed at the idea that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. “I would not know what I would do were anything to happen to you.” His grip on her hand tightened, and Ash let her eyes fall shut. 

“I understand, Elijah,” Her voice was stronger than she had expected; honestly, with the tears burning hot behind her eyes, she figured her voice would be a weak, wobbly thing. “It’s better this way.” 

His breath caught, and Ash opened her eyes to look up into the warm pools of brown. They stood still for a moment, breathing each other’s air, both afraid that if either of them moved or said anything, the moment would ruin for the third time that night. 

After a few moments, Elijah sighed, pulling away enough to press his lips to her forehead. Ash closed her eyes at the feeling, squeezing his hand before allowing him to back away. “I should go,” His voice was tense, and Ash wished he didn’t have to. She wished that they weren’t in this situation; she wished she could tell Elijah what was going on between her and Klaus. “Good night, Ash.” 

He opened the door, and Ash gave him a wobbly smile. “Good night, Elijah. Drive safe.” He nodded, watching her for a moment longer than necessary, before he turned around and made his way back to his car. 

Ash closed and locked the door, leaning against the wood so she could bury her face in her hands. She felt like an idiot; she knew this was a bad idea, although she hadn’t counted on getting as drunk as she had, or that she was as attracted to Elijah as she was. 

Hopefully the meeting tomorrow night wouldn’t be as horrible as Ash thought it would be. 


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I’m sorry for the delay on this one, but it was kind of hard to get out. I’m currently working on chapter 11, so hopefully that one won’t be too late!!

Ash awoke to sunlight streaming into her bedroom and a blinding headache. The sun did not help the headache, of course, and she groaned as she yanked the blankets over her head in order to ward off the pain. She knew that she had to get up, but she never did deal with hangovers well.

With another groan, Ash rolled out of bed, pulling the top blanket off to wrap around herself as she stumbled into the kitchen. Forgoing a cup, Ash turned on the faucet and stuck her head under, drinking directly from the tap. It tasted horrible, and her nose scrunched with distaste, but she was too dehydrated to stop.

She pulled back after a few moments, wiping a hand over her mouth to catch any stray droplets. Her head was pounding, and she felt like absolute shit— she refused to acknowledge that part of it was because of Elijah. She heaved a sigh, leaning on the countertop and squeezing her eyes shut. “God, I’m an idiot.”

Shaking her head with a wince, Ash trudged over to the couch, scooping the remote off of the coffee table and turning the TV on as she flopped down. She would drive over to Damon’s later for food and the man’s magical hangover remedy, but for right now she just wanted the world to slow down and her nausea to fade.

She groaned when she remembered her car was still at the bar. “Fucking damn it,” Rubbing her face, she sighed and let her head fall onto the arm of the couch, staring miserably at the ceiling. It didn’t help that she was dreading tonight in its entirety— whatever Klaus’s reason for secrecy, she knew it would bite _her_ in the ass, not him. Damon would be pissed as hell, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that.

Making an agitated noise in the back of her throat, Ash sat back up and glared at the TV for another moment. It was some sit-com from the early 2000s, something she never cared about, so it was easy for her to turn the TV off. She needed to shower— it would help her feel better, or at least get rid of some of the hangover.

Flicking the switch, Ash glared at herself in the mirror; the blue-green reflected back at her was dark, the black circles under her eyes adding to her exhausted appearance. She looked paler than usual, too, but she chalked it up to how her stomach was roiling, and not poor self care.

Heaving a sigh, Ash turned to her shower, opening the door and turning the water on to let it warm up. She avoided looking in the mirror again as she undressed— she knew she was underweight, she didn’t have to see it every damn time she wanted to shower.

With another long sigh, she got into the shower, the glass door clicking shut behind her. She winced at the heat, turning the temperature down just a hair, before leaning her head back and allowing the stream to pound over her head.

Some of the tension eased from her shoulders, and Ash let out a relieved sigh, letting her eyes close for a moment. Images of Elijah flashed across her eyelids, and Ash’s eyes snapped back open— she groaned, jaw tight as she turned and grabbed her shampoo, squirting a dollop out and lathering her hair.

She couldn’t believe herself. She _knew_ Elijah was off limits— and from Klaus’s behavior, she assumed that would not change once this _arrangement_ was over.

Her heart fluttered when she remembered what he’d said— that it wasn’t for a lack of wanting, but for her safety. Guilt quickly followed that small bubble of warmth, smothering it until Ash stood under the spray, her mouth pulled down in a severe frown. If only he knew…

With another sigh, Ash quickly finished in the shower, getting out and toweling off enough that she could dress. Thankfully, going to Damon’s didn’t require looking like a model, and Ash pulled on an old pair of sweats and a t-shirt Enzo never took back from her before putting on her socks and boots.

She didn’t bother with drying out her hair or doing her makeup— if anybody asked why she looked so horrible, she would blame the hangover and change the subject. Nodding to herself, Ash went back to the living room, grabbing her purse from the side table and pulling out her phone before plopping down on the couch.

She was pulling up Damon’s contact info when she heard a knock on her door, and she barely suppressed the groan she wanted to let out. “I swear to Christ…” Muttering to herself, she threw open the door, anger fading immediately when she saw Stefan. “Oh. Hey, I was just about to call.”

He nodded, raising his eyebrows expectantly, and Ash moved aside to let him in. “Yeah, we figured since you took a cab last night, you’d need a ride.” She nodded, watching as he sat down. Stefan was watching her intently, his green eyes searching. “What’s going on with you, Ash?”

Ash rolled her eyes, moving to sit down on the couch with him. “Everybody keeps asking me that.” Stefan gave her a look that said ‘Can you _blame_ them?’ and Ash groaned. “Look, I’ll be fine. I’m stressed out for you guys,” That wasn’t all true, but the best lies were part truths. “I’ll be better once all of this dust settles, and the Mikaelsons leave.”

Stefan didn’t look convinced, though. “You know, Damon wouldn’t shut up about them, last night,” Ash narrowed her eyes at him, and Stefan gave her a genial smile. “Or, well, he couldn’t shut up about Elijah. Doesn’t seem to like him very much.”

Ash nodded slowly, watching him warily. Stefan didn’t get like this unless he was going to make a huge point. “Well, Elijah is the kind of person Damon hates to a tee. Not really surprised, there.”

Stefan nodded, pursing his lips. “He said you didn’t seem to mind him, though,” Ash’s eyes narrowed further, and Stefan held his hands up. “Hey, Ash, just be careful.”

“Be careful about what?” She was too hungover for this conversation, and the annoyance seeping into her tone conveyed as much. “Stefan, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” His green eyes glimmered with his amusement, and Ash felt her anger flare up. “ _What_?”

Stefan chuckled, his eyes warm, and not judgmental. “Ash, it’s alright if you like the guy.”

She blinked at him, her mouth opening and closing a few times as she tried to come up with something to say to that. Stefan just smirked at her, allowing her a moment. Finally, she narrowed her eyes, shooting him a hard glare. “I do not _like_ him, Stefan.” They stared at each other for a few more moments, Stefan clearly unconvinced, before Ash made an angry noise in the back of her throat and stood up. “I _don’t_. Now let’s fucking go, so I can get rid of this hangover.”

* * *

The drive to Damon’s apartment was pretty much silent. Enzo and Lexi had already arrived, so everyone was just waiting for Ash, as Stefan put it. After that, Ash turned to the window and played hungover to avoid speaking to the younger Salvatore.

That was one thing preferred about Damon — he didn’t grill her for information she didn’t feel like sharing yet. Stefan, under the guise of caring, prodded far too much. Which was why, Ash assumed, he and Lexi were such great friends.

She knew that both of them meant well, and that they genuinely did care, but she didn’t even know what was going on herself right now. At this point, their prodding would only make her more reluctant to say anything.

As soon as Stefan parked the car, Ash was shoving out of the door and making her way to Damon’s apartment. Stefan was following quickly, clearly not content with leaving her alone, and Ash shot him a withering glare over her shoulder. He only rolled his eyes in response, opening the door for her and sighing as she brushed past him.

The first thing she saw upon entry was Enzo laying on the couch with a hoodie draped over his face, clearly not faring much better with his hangover than Ash. The sight made her grin, and she shoved his legs aside, snickering at his muttered curses as she plopped down next to him.

“Fuck’s sake, I said leave me alone,” He moved the hoodie aside, glaring at Ash for a moment before he smiled with a wince. “Oh, you’re here, darling. Feeling as awful as I am?”

Ash groaned, watching Damon move around in the kitchen, making a few glasses of the horrid drink that would cure everybody’s hangovers. “You know I am. I feel like I got run over last night.”

Enzo made a noise of agreement, letting the thin cotton of his hoodie fall back over his face. Stefan watched them for a moment before joining Lexi at the coffee table, both of them talking in hushed voices. Ash envied Lexi’s ability to shrug off a hangover— the woman looked wholly unaffected, as if she hadn’t downed two bottles of whiskey and a bottle of vodka with Ash last night.

Damon didn’t look much better, looking fairly green around the gills and setting things down far more gently than necessary to compensate for what Ash assumed was a pounding migraine.

“Ugh, why do we drink, darling? Are we all gluttons for punishment?”

Ash glanced back down to Enzo’s covered face, smiling and shaking her head with a chuckle. “Well, the alcohol is great until the next day.”

Enzo moved the hoodie again, grinning up at Ash. “Ah, see _this_ is why you’re the smart one. We just need to get drunk again.”

“Right,” Damon finally chimed in, bringing two glasses full of what looked to be Red Eyes— Ash winced at the prospect, but took the drink gladly, knowing it would make her feel better eventually. “And we’ll all be functioning alcoholics together. It’ll be _great_.” He handed them both the glasses, muttering a ‘Drink up’ before trudging back to his own.

Stefan chuckled, smirking. “Hey, I know a good AA meeting that starts before my NA; you guys could go as a group.”

Enzo finally sat up to drink, snorting at Stefan’s comment. “Yeah, a real family affair, eh?”

Ash scoffed, plugging her nose to drink; she hated tomato juice, and the fact that there was an entire raw egg in there, _unmixed_ , always made her stomach churn. “What, we go up one after another? ‘Hi, I’m drinking because these assholes are in my life’.”

Enzo shoved her, snickering when she choked, and moving away before she could hit him back. Damon glared at her from across the room, and Lexi held up a hand. “No, no, it would be so healthy. Although, group therapy might do better.”

“Oh no,” Damon waved a finger at her, his glare playful. “We get into group therapy and that’s when the real dirt comes out,” He glanced over to Ash and Enzo, smirking. “All we’d hear is these two fighting, _again_ , and none of us need that.”

Stefan sucked his teeth and nodded, glancing over at the two as well. “Yeah, that was _not_ fun.”

Lexi nodded as well, shooting Ash a sympathetic look at her indignant gasp. “Sorry, honey, it was. God, you two were at each other’s throats forever.”

Ash scoffed, slugging the rest of her drink and slamming it on the coffee table. “It’s not like I didn’t have cause,” That was met with a chorus of ‘Here we go again’ and ‘Oh God’, and Ash sank back into the couch with a pout. “Whatever. It’s not like we _like_ each other.”

Enzo grinned at her, tugging the sleeve of her shirt. “I don’t know, lovely. Why’d you be wearing this if you didn’t like me at least a bit?” We wagged his eyebrows, and Ash raised one of her own.

“Because it was the closest thing to my bathroom. And you never took it back, so it’s mine by law.”

Damon made a surprised noise, eyebrows furrowing. “Wait, wait, what? That’s not— That isn’t real, right?”

Lexi smirked at him, her brows raised. “Why? Leave a shirt with an ex you fucked over real bad?”

Damon glared at her, and they had their answer. Ash’s bet was on Katherine Pierce; it had been complicated towards the end, and didn’t end on good terms. “For your information, it was a vinyl.” Lexi rolled her eyes and Damon came back to the living room to plop down on the armchair. “Totally different from a t-shirt.”

“He is right about that,” Enzo nodded, plucking Ash’s shirt sleeve between to fingers. “This is not nearly as much as a vinyl— which one was it, anyway, mate?”

“It was a 12” single, right? Depeche Mode; A side was _Behind the Wheel_ , B side was _Route 66_. It was one of my _best kept_ records, and I fucking _left_ it at her apartment.” He sounded as if he thought about that moment a great deal.

Stefan snapped his fingers, grinning at Damon. “Oh, I remember that one,” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Didn’t you steal that one anyway?”

“That’s why I was so pissed! It was an amazing record, and I lose it, because some chick is screaming at me to leave before her boyfriend comes back,” He rolled his eyes, pouting, and Ash bit her lips against a laugh. “One of the worst days of my life, by far.”

Enzo made a noise, pointing at him. “See, I _know_ that’s a lie.”

Damon pointed at him, glaring at Enzo with enough fury that he’d be dead if looks could kill. “And I _know_ we both swore to never speak of that again!”

Laughter filled the apartment after that, and Ash looked around, momentarily forgetting about her hangover; about all the shit that had gone wrong in her life recently; about Klaus. Everything felt normal again, and she smiled quietly as happiness filled her.

* * *

After a few hours of hanging around at Damon’s, Ash finally ran out of time to avoid getting ready for that night. Damon took her to get her car, and she gave some crap excuse about covering for Matt at the diner that night to avoid seeing Damon, Stefan, and Enzo off to the meeting.

She winced when she thought about the various reactions her being there would garner. She figured most of it would be regarding the dishonesty; the fact that it would look like she didn’t trust them didn’t sit right with her, but it was too late now. That, and she didn’t know what kind of resources Klaus had.

She was in the process of changing into something a little more suitable— she refused to even acknowledge the little voice telling her she wasn’t doing it for the sake of professionalism, but to see Elijah’s reaction.

Scowling, she opened her closet back up, searching for something that would work. Her eyes landed on an old pair of black slacks she didn’t even remember buying, and she pulled them out with a considering look. After a moment, she decided they would work, and she tossed them onto her bed before searching for a shirt.

There was an old pale blue button down she vaguely remembered having to own when she worked retail, a lavender blouse she might have accidentally stolen from Lexi. She sighed, gnawing her lip before snagging the lavender one and turning to dress. If she didn’t think about it, she wouldn’t be tempted to over think, and she’d actually be able to leave.

She had just gotten her pants on and was bending to search for a pair of shoes when her phone starting to ring, the standard chime alerting her that it was from an unknown caller. Furrowing her eyebrows, Ash walked over to her nightstand, biting her lip before sliding it to answer. “Hello?”

“ _Hello, love. So glad you picked up,_ ” Ash’s eyes slammed closed when she heard Klaus’s voice on the other line, and she barley held back her groan. “ _I just wanted to make sure you didn’t forget about tonight._ ”

Ash sighed, plopping down on her bed and rolling her eyes. “How could I forget, when the invitation was so personal?”

Klaus chuckled, and Ash was happy she could sneer without fear of him seeing. “ _Wonderful. Well, Elijah and I will see you in half an hour. Don’t be late._ ”

Ash’s eyebrows furrowed and her mouth opened before she could stop it. “Wait, I was supposed to be there at eight. Why do you want me there earlier?”

Klaus chuckled again, and Ash couldn’t stop the shiver that rolled down her spine. “ _Well that’s rather simple, Ash— I told you to do it. That is reason enough._ ” The line went dead before she could respond, and part of her was grateful for that.

With a frustrated sigh and a time limit now in place, Ash stood up, grabbing the first pair of black shoes she saw; they weren’t too dusty, and were leather ankle boots that didn’t have much of a heel, but were great for moving around in. She shrugged and went to her bathroom, glaring at herself in the mirror.

There wasn’t a lot she could do for her face; she didn’t have much makeup, and with what was staring back at her in the mirror, makeup wasn’t going to help anyway. Heaving an aggravated sigh, she grabbed her brush and ran it through her hair before pulling her hair up into a half ponytail.

Quickly applying her mascara and her tinted lip balm, she gave herself a quick once-over. She looked put together, at the very least; she didn’t have anything to cover the dark circles under her eyes, but other than that, she was passable.

With a nod, Ash turned and snagged her phone off of her bed, as well as her purse. Things were going to change tonight, she knew that; the anxiety coursing through her veins did not settle with that thought, however, and Ash had to take a moment before exiting the apartment.

Taking a deep breath, she left her home for the night, locking up and marching to her car with a confidence she wished she felt.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one’s a little longer than normal, but I couldn’t split it and still give y’all two good chapters. So! You get one huge one.

The building Ash pulled up to looked like it hadn’t been inhabited in some time, the process of reconstruction evidenced by the fencing around most of the property and a few trucks. Part of her wondered if those were just there for show, to keep others away until the building was needed.

She took a moment after turning off the engine, taking a few deep breaths. Her hands were shaking, the anxious curl in the pit of her stomach not helping that. The little voice in the back of her head was screaming at her to drive away, to try to put this all behind her. She knew that wasn’t really an option, though, and grabbed her purse. She got out, making sure to lock her car, before heading to the front door.

The only reason she knew she wasn’t alone here was the other two cars parked, the Bentley familiar, but she found no comfort in the fact that Elijah was going to be here.

Steeling herself, Ash pushed inside, keeping herself quiet for now. She figured if Klaus wanted her here early, he would meet her first. Her footsteps echoed on the tile, and she glanced around to take in her surroundings; it was quiet, but clearly taken care of.

It looked like most higher end office buildings, marble floors, high ceilings with darker accents. She walked further in, her grip tight on the strap of her purse.

“Hello, love,” Ash turned to the left, Klaus walking towards her with a smirk, his eyes shimmering with delight. Her jaw clenched as she turned fully to face him, narrowing her eyes. “So glad you could make it.”

She heaved a sigh, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “Yeah, I’m here, it’s great. Can we just get this over with?”

Klaus’s smirk widened, and he took a step closer to Ash, his hands clasped behind his back. He let his eyes trail down her, the impressed look in his eye gone as quick as it had appeared. He met her eye again, and Ash gritted her teeth, her lips pursing. “Certainly. Follow me,” He turned without looking back, fully expecting Ash to follow; she wasn’t stupid enough not to.

He led her down a hallway that opened up to a foyer with two elevators on either side. Ash kept a good distance between the two of them when he stopped to press the call button, and Klaus glanced at her with an amused grin. “I won’t bite, Ash.”

She gave him a mirthless smile, keeping her feet planted firmly where the were. The elevator chimed and the doors opened, Klaus moving aside and watching her expectantly; Ash took a deep breath and stepped inside, her free hand shooting out to latch onto the railing.

Klaus got in after, pressing the button for the fourth floor. Ash kept her eyes on the ground, taking deep, measured breaths to keep her anxiety at bay— she’d always hated elevators. Klaus kept his eyes on her, taking in the tension she was sure was clearly evident in her body language. Ash narrowed her eyes, and Klaus just smiled.

An eternity later, the elevator chimed and the doors slid open, Klaus nodding for Ash to exit first. She kept her eye on him as she moved past, crossing the threshold and stepping out into the foyer. She waited for Klaus, who took off immediately, not bothering to speak.

Ash rolled her eyes and trailed after, fighting the urge to gnaw on her bottom lip or pick at her nails. She instead focused on her surroundings, noting the few closed offices off to the left and right of them, and the closed conference room Klaus seemed to be heading to. The walls were all glass, but the blinds were drawn, and Ash didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Klaus turned to her, his face serious. Ash stopped a few steps away from him, her glare hard. “I do hope we are already in agreement about what is going to happen tonight, Ash,” His voice had an edge to it that Ash didn’t miss, and she stood straighter under his gaze. “I would hate for these negotiations to go poorly.” He grinned then, turning to open the conference room door, raising his eyebrows expectantly at Ash.

Sighing, she entered, glancing around the room. It was empty except for a long table, a few chairs set up there. Ash glanced back at Klaus, who nodded to the table as he closed the door behind him. “Elijah will be here shortly,” Something about the way he said that made Ash’s stomach churn. “Have a seat.”

She moved around the table so she could see the door and pulled a chair out, sitting down and setting her purse down by her feet. To say she was nervous was an understatement, and she tapped a finger on the table top as she watched the door.

“Stressed?” Ash’s eyes shot over to Klaus at his amused tone; he was sitting back in his chair, taking the head of the table. He had a grin on his face, his eyes twinkling at her.

She glanced back at the door before returning her gaze to Klaus, who just raised an eyebrow at her. “What? Upset I don’t want to get into a verbal sparring match?” She shot him a smirk of her own, and Klaus chuckled.

“It certainly is more entertaining than sitting in silence, waiting for my brother to arrive.” He shrugged and Ash rolled her eyes, glancing from Klaus to the door. He tilted his head, blue-green eyes calculating.

Ash fidgeted, finger tapping faster against the wood. Klaus’s eyes flicked down and she stopped, curling her fingers into a fist so she could dig her nails into her palm instead. “For some more than others.” She glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

Klaus chuckled again, going to reply when the door opened. “Niklaus, I—,” Ash froze when Elijah entered, stopping in the threshold when he saw her. Confusion flickered over his face as he took her in, his eyes flicking over to Klaus, who looked positively giddy. Elijah’s eyes narrowed on his brother, and Ash’s eyes flicked between the brothers, the tension in the room thick and heavy. “What is the meaning of this?”

Elijah was still focused on Klaus, his voice tense, brown eyes furious. Klaus just chuckled, shrugging a shoulder and leaning back in his chair. “It’s not that difficult to figure out, Elijah,” Elijah didn’t respond, jaw clenching. Klaus rolled his eyes, gesturing to Ash. “Well, I figured if you could go around making partnerships, I could as well. Were you not the one who deemed it necessary to keep purely physical copies of our books?”

“This is _not_ what I meant,” Ash flinched at the heat in Elijah’s voice, and Klaus’s eyebrows raised. Elijah took a step further into the room, closing the door behind himself. “You know very well that I—,”

“Is she not a grown woman, brother?” Klaus gave a genial smile, eyes locking on Ash’s own. She glared at him, her jaw clenched. “I gave her a choice and she made it; and here we are.” He laughed again, eyes crinkling with his smile.

Elijah turned to her, his eyes narrow and brows drawn; Ash’s eyes flicked back down to the table. “Is this true?” His tone was cooler now, but his displeasure was still evident.

She shrugged, fidgeting between the two men. “Yeah, I mean— I guess.” When she met Elijah’s eye again, he looked furious. She just sighed, looking up at him helplessly. It wasn’t like she actually had a choice in the matter, and she wished she could express that to him. She didn’t, though, knowing she would need her energy to deal with all of the other people who were going to be pissed at her.

Klaus clapped his hands together, standing. “Alright, if we’ve got that settled. Elijah, we should wait for the others, yes?” Elijah shot Klaus a glare, who looked wholly unimpressed. “Or shall I wait for you downstairs, brother?”

The two shared a look, and Klaus put his hands up, grinning at Elijah. He tossed a look to Ash, all humor gone, and she squirmed in her seat, wishing that the ground would open up and devour her. The door closed behind Klaus, and Elijah lifted a hand to rub over his mouth, shaking his head.

“Elijah, I’m sorry—,” He raised a hand, silencing her, and Ash sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment, biting her lip, before she looked back at him. “Look, I didn’t have a _choice_ , Elijah. He told me to do this, or he was going to kill me. What did you want me to do?!” He dropped his hand, glaring at her.

“I could have helped you, Ash,” She scoffed this time, rolling her eyes as she pushed up from her seat to pace. Her body was buzzing in that way that told her she had too much energy, and she’d burst at the seams if she didn’t get some of it out. Elijah watched her, eyebrows still furrowed. “Does anyone know that you are here tonight?”

Ash gave him a flat look, and Elijah heaved a sigh of his own. “Wonderful.” He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“What? If I didn’t come to you with this, why the fuck would I have gone to Enzo? Or Damon?” She groaned, shooting him an agitated glare. “I’m stuck in the middle of this, and you’re just going to have to deal with it.”

Elijah gave her an icy glare, and Ash returned it. They were silent, neither of them pleased with the current situation, or each other. Elijah was the first to turn away, shaking his head again. “I need to go. Stay here.” His voice was sharp, and he left before she could argue, the door closing behind him harder than necessary.

Ash groaned, trudging over to her chair and plopping down in it, burying her face in her hands. She hadn’t even considered that Elijah would be upset, and it did not help the panic clawing at her. Sighing, she squeezed her eyes shut before letting her hands drop, leaning back into her seat and opening her eyes to stare at the ceiling.

It was silent enough that she could hear her blood pumping in her own ears, and Ash heaved another sigh before facing the door. Part of her wanted to text Damon, tell him that she would be here— the other part didn’t trust in his ability to act like he didn’t know anything.

She was just leaning down to grab her phone when the door opened again, and Ash looked up to see the Salvatores, Enzo, and the Mikaelsons filing in. Damon’s eyes were wide on her, his confusion evident. Stefan didn’t look much better, but he hid it more than Damon did, the green of his eyes locked onto Ash’s own. Enzo was the hardest to read, but when Ash met the brown of his eye, the question she found there let her know he was worried for her safety more so than anything else.

Elijah and Klaus followed in after, Klaus moving to take his seat while Elijah closed the door behind him. Stefan and Enzo were keeping a wary eye on both of the Mikaelsons, while Damon glared at Elijah. “Why the _fuck_ is she here? You said this was just about us.”

Elijah went to answer, but Klaus spoke before he could. “That’s because I asked her here. Is there a problem?” His smile was pleasant, but when Ash looked into his eyes, they were cold and hard. Damon turned his attention to Klaus, and Ash sighed.

Before Damon could open his mouth and screw the entire meeting up before it started, Ash stood, drawing the men’s attention. She leveled her glare on Damon, her body a tense line. “I’m here, Damon. Get over it. Sit down, shut up, and let’s get this over with so we can go home.” Her tone brooked no argument, and she glanced at Enzo and Stefan, raising an eyebrow. The two just nodded, quietly moving to sit.

Damon glared at her, his blue eyes icy in a way that was usually reserved for people who weren’t Ash. She stood her ground, though, sitting down and nodding to the chair across from her. For a few tense moments, Damon stood, moving his glare from Ash to the two Mikaelsons, before finally pulling out a chair and sitting.

Ash flicked her eyes back up to Elijah, who was watching her intently before looking away and taking his seat. Klaus chuckled, raising his eyebrows as he watched Damon and Ash. “I suppose that’s settled, then,” He grinned, leaning back in his seat. “Shall we get started?”

Stefan adjusted in his seat, eyes steady on Klaus. “I’d like to clear something up first,” Klaus raised his eyebrows, giving a small nod for Stefan to continue. “Why did you two come here in the first place? No offense to Damon and Enzo, but they aren’t exactly an international name.”

Klaus smiled, something in it causing a shiver to roll down Ash’s spine. He glanced over to Elijah, his amusement clear. Elijah watched him, face guarded in a way Ash hadn’t seen before, but she suspected was quite frequent for him. Elijah adjusted, looking toward Stefan. “We have an interest in expanding our reach. The States were not a stretch.”

Enzo scoffed, rolling his eyes. “That didn’t sound much like an answer, mate.” Elijah eyed him, smiling a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Yet it was what I gave,” Elijah leaned back in his seat, tapping his finger lightly on the desk. “Gentlemen, I came here with the intent to bring you two,” He nodded to Damon and Enzo. “In under our family. To operate here, where you live.”

“Yeah,” Ash could hear the sneer in Damon’s voice without even having to look at him. “And you and your family get to call the shots, right?” His eyes were icy when they met Elijah’s, and Ash glanced over when Stefan stiffened in his seat. “Why do you think Enzo and I went solo in the first place?”

“My poor tempered friend has a point,” Enzo sounded tense, and that didn’t help settle Ash’s nerves in the slightest. She adjusted in her seat, eyes flicking over to Klaus, who was watching with a tilted head and an amused half smile. “Why would we even want to partner with you?”

Elijah’s mouth opened to answer, but Klaus stood before he could. Elijah’s eyes narrowed on his brother, watching as he circled the desk until he was behind Ash. She felt sick when his hands settled on her shoulders, their weight not at all comforting in the way Elijah’s had been.

“That’s quite simple, really,” He sounded far too amused, and when Ash’s saw the flicker of worry in Elijah’s eye, she felt her heart rate pick up, her breathing coming in faster. “Little Ashlynn here is coming with us, whether you lot agree to our terms or not.” Ash didn’t have to see Klaus to know he was grinning at the entire table. “I’m sure you two wouldn’t do well without your bookkeeper, and if you _do_ happen to take my brother’s _very_ generous offer, you won’t have to worry about that at all now, will you?”

There was a beat where everyone present processed. Ash found herself looking toward Elijah first, his shock at Klaus’s plan clear. Letting her eyes scan over her own people, they weren’t handling it any better. Damon was glaring daggers at Klaus and Elijah; Enzo was watching Klaus like a hawk, his eyes flicking down to watch his fingers tighten on Ash’s shoulders; Stefan was watching her, worry bright as day on his face. Guilt settled over her like a heavy blanket, and Ash felt her stomach churn, nauseated.

Damon stood, his chair rolling out from behind him as he glared Klaus down. “What the _fuck_ does that mean?”

Klaus chuckled, squeezing Ash’s shoulders one more time before letting go, moving to take his seat once more. Elijah hadn’t torn his glare away from Klaus the entire time. “Think of it as an insurance policy,” Klaus’s eyes flicked over to Ash, and she glared right back at him; he just smirked. “Of course, your being in contact with her all depends on the outcome of this meeting.”

“Doesn’t she get a say?” Stefan’s voice was calm, and Ash envied his ability to remain outwardly unaffected. His green eyes were glaring into Klaus’s, the anger there the only emotion he allowed. “You’re treating her like property.”

Klaus shrugged, looking to Ash and smirking. “She’s made her choice. In fact, I gave her an out— the very first time she and I met. She didn’t take it, clearly, and here we are.” Ash winced, feeling three pairs of eyes on her. “Isn’t that right, love?” She shot Klaus a glare, and he just smiled at her.

Sighing, Ash turned to Enzo and the Salvatores. Damon looked the most upset, his confused betrayal causing her heart to clench. Enzo and Stefan looked a mixture of worried, angry, and confused, and Ash closed her eyes for a moment. “He’s right,” She didn’t know how her voice was as strong as it was. “He told me to stay out of it; I didn’t.” She shrugged, looking at them, her guilt clear. “I couldn’t tell you guys. I’m sorry.”

“Yes, now with the heartfelt apology out of the way,” Klaus rolled his eyes, waving his hand before anybody else could speak. Ash glanced back to Elijah, who was now watching her with an unreadable gaze. She shifted, her eyes flicking down to look at the table. “Let me assure you all that she won’t fall into any harm,” Ash’s eyebrows furrowed at the amusement in his tone, and she looked at Klaus to find him grinning at her. “She’ll be working closely with Elijah, after all. He won’t let anything happen to her.”

Ash ground her teeth together, her jaw clenched hard enough that it hurt. With the way Klaus’s eyes were dancing, Ash knew exactly his intent there— he didn’t want them together for whatever reason, and here he was, sticking her in a position where she would have to work with Elijah.

Enzo shook his head, jaw set. “You’re taking her to Europe with you? You can’t just—,”

Klaus shook his head, silencing Enzo with a raise of his hand. “It defeats the purpose of only having a physical set of books when you send the information electronically.” Enzo pursed his lips at that, shooting Ash a sympathetic look. Klaus leaned forward in his seat, settling his hands on the desk. “What happens to Ash is not up for negotiation, let me make that perfectly clear. This meeting is about you gentlemen, so let us get back on track, hm?”

Damon shook his head, jaw clenched and his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back in his seat. “I’m not doing shit for you, or your fucked up family.”

Stefan leaned forward, eyes on Damon. “Hey, let’s not be hasty—,”

“Hasty, Stefan?!” Damon shot his brother an incredulous look, gesturing to Klaus. “The guy’s insane, and is _clearly_ intent on fucking us over! I’m not going along with it.”

“Damon, don’t do this,” Enzo didn’t sound exactly happy about saying that, but Ash knew that Enzo could swallow his pride long enough to survive. “Can we at least hear the rest of what they have to say?” Damon moved his glare to Enzo, who didn’t look affected by it in the slightest.

“Seriously?” Damon scoffed, shaking his head. “You know what? _Fine_. Let’s hear their offer, _why not_?” Damon finally settled his glare back onto Ash, and she squirmed under it. She knew that she wouldn’t ever hear the end of it— if she ever heard from any of them again, after all of this.

Elijah cleared his throat, watching Klaus for a moment, who just raised his eyebrows as if he were waiting for Elijah to continue the entire time. “Allow me to assure you all personally; Ms. Rhodes shall come to no harm so long as she is with myself, or my family.” Nobody said anything to that, and Elijah sighed.

He stood, looking to their little group, meeting each of their eyes except for Ash, and she tried to ignore the way her heart clenched. “I understand that this did not exactly go the _best_ of ways,” Elijah cut a look to Klaus, who just rolled his eyes. “However, there are benefits to coming in under our family. As I said, you would still be operating here, much the same as you are now. With time, you’ll have more responsibilities, but by the time that happens, things will be settled enough for us to send more of our people to help with the workload.”

Enzo made a noise in the back of his throat, narrowing his eyes on Elijah. “So we’d be setting the groundwork for your family here?”

Elijah nodded, sticking one of his hands in his pants pocket. “Yes.” Enzo shot a look to Damon, who shook his head.

“And what’re we going to get, doing all the work for you?” Damon sneered at Elijah, and the man smirked, although Ash didn’t miss the way he eyed Klaus to gauge his reaction. When Klaus didn’t do anything, Elijah continued.

“You would be getting the Mikaelson name, and everything that entails; resources, protection, influence. Not to mention, should either of you run into any issues with the authorities, we can, of course, take care of that.” Damon looked mildly impressed with that, glancing to Enzo.

Ash watched as they seemed to have a silent conversation, the subtle eye movements the only tell that they were somehow communicating; she had seem them do it a handful of times, and it never failed to impress her. After a moment, Damon raised a brow to Stefan, who shrugged. “Hey, this is about you guys. It sounds good to me, though.” Damon nodded, tilting his head in a way that showed his disbelief in what he was about to say.

“Well, Elijah,” Damon stood, reaching a hand out for Elijah to shake. Ash didn’t miss the satisfaction that flashed in the brown depths of Elijah’s eyes, and part of her was happy that this part at least worked out. “I guess you have a deal.”

Elijah clasped Damon’s hand in a firm grip, giving a good shake as he flashed Damon a small smile. “Wonderful. I’ll be in touch to finalize any concerns you and Mr. St. John have.” Damon nodded and went back to his seat. Elijah sat down as well, looking to Klaus. “Do you have anything to add, Niklaus?”

Klaus narrowed his eyes on his brother, adjusting in his seat before moving his gaze to Stefan. “Were you not involved in your brother’s business a few years ago, Stefan?” Stefan narrowed his eyes, raising a brow. Klaus smiled, leaning back and shrugging a shoulder. “How can we be so sure you won’t come back?”

Stefan chuckled, shaking his head. “I didn’t leave for no good reason. Trust me, I want no part in this,” He gave Klaus a vaguely hostile smile, eyes hard. “I’m only here because _you_ asked me to be.” His eyes slid over to Ash, and she gritted her teeth, giving Stefan a small glare.

Klaus shrugged, looking to Damon before returning his gaze to Stefan. “Our families do have a history of not sticking to their word,” The two Salvatores glared at Klaus, and Elijah tensed in his seat. “I just want to make sure that that isn’t true anymore.”

Damon scoffed, eyeing Klaus. “Yeah, I don’t think it’s _us_ you have to worry about.”

“Damon, cool it,” Enzo sounded stiff, his eyes on Klaus; Ash thanked the heavens that at least Enzo understood the danger Klaus alone presented. “We’ve made the deal, it’s done.”

Damon muttered something under his breath, clearly displeased with the current situation. Stefan tapped his fingers on the table, tilting his head. “Look, I’m leaving day after tomorrow. I am _not_ getting back into this life, Klaus.” They held each other’s eye for a long moment, nobody else in the room moving or making a sound.

Finally, Klaus looked mildly pleased and gave a nod. “Alright. I guess we have that settled, then,” He smiled, turning to the three men at the other end of the table. “You lot can leave, then. We still have things to discuss with Ash here.” He smirked at her, and Ash’s hands fisted in the material of her pants.

Enzo and Stefan shared a look, both shooting Ash a sympathetic look; she gave them a small smile and a nod. Damon was still glaring a hole into her, and he didn’t even argue before standing and storming out of the office. Ash let her eyes drop to the table, her teeth almost cutting into her bottom lip with how hard she was biting it.

The door closed behind Enzo and Stefan, and Ash looked up to the two Mikaelsons, the glee on Klaus’s face doing nothing to settle her nerves; the closed off look on Elijah’s face just made the guilt she felt more apparent.

Something told her that her night was only just beginning.


	12. Chapter Twelve

For a long, tense couple of minutes, nobody said anything. Ash could feel her breath coming in shallow draws, her eyes flicking between Klaus and Elijah. The two were staring each other down, Elijah’s face showing just how displeased he was with his brother’s course of action. Klaus looked in no way repentant, and Ash resisted the urge to fidget under the mounting tension.

She shifted in her seat, freezing when their eyes flicked to her. Klaus’s lips curled up in a smile, and he glanced over to Elijah again before returning his gaze to Ash; she stiffened, her eyes narrowing on him. “So, Ash,” Klaus’s voice was light, but Ash found no comfort in it. “I’m sure you have a few questions.”

Her hands fisted on her thighs, and Ash closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself before she looked back at Klaus. She flashed him a genial smile, her eyes cold. “I wasn’t aware I was allowed.”

Klaus chuckled, his smile growing. He leaned back in his chair, resting his elbows on the armrests and letting his fingers steeple. “Of course you are, Ash,” The fact that his amusement was not wavering didn’t make the anxiety Ash felt go away, and when she glanced to Elijah, he was avoiding her gaze. “That is what this meeting is for.”

She scoffed, her anger hitting a tipping point where rational thought went out the window. “Really? I thought it was to partner with Damon and Enzo. Considering that’s done, I’m gonna call bullshit.”

Klaus chuckled again, raising his eyebrows. He let his hands drop, tapping on the tabletop for a beat before slapping his hand down. “There she is,” His eyes were dancing, and that just served to piss her off more. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Elijah tense, watching the both of them carefully. “I was wondering when you were going to start speaking up. You’ve been a little too quiet tonight, love.”

Ash rolled her eyes, not bothering to hold her sneer back. “Oh, I am _so_ sorry I’m not talking enough for you. Is that part of the deal you cornered me into, too?”

Klaus gave a cold laugh, his eyes glinting at her. “Careful there, Ash. My patience only goes so far.”

Ash scoffed again, shaking her head with an incredulous look. “You know what? I really don’t give a—,”

“ _Enough_.” Elijah’s voice, a whip-crack, cut her off and snapped her mouth shut as she and Klaus turned their attention to him. His jaw was clenched, looking at both of them with hard eyes; Ash fidgeted, her anger suddenly deflating. “Niklaus,” Elijah’s eyes cut over to his brother, who raised an eyebrow with a bland look. “Perhaps we should discuss the terms of Ms. Rhodes’… _Position_ in the morning.” He narrowed his eyes, and Klaus heaved a sigh.

Before Klaus could open his mouth, Elijah cut his glare to Ash. “Ms. Rhodes, I would suggest you get a handle on your temper.” Ash flushed, her eyes darting down to the table. “If you are to work with this family, you will need to control yourself.” She nodded, biting her lip.

Another tense silence followed, the only sounds the occasional movement of someone in their seat. Ash cleared her throat, flicking her eyes back up to Klaus. “When am I leaving?”

He gave Elijah a look before turning back to Ash. “Well, if everything goes over well _tomorrow_ ,” He cut Elijah a glare, who returned it, before looking back to Ash. “Then you’ll be leaving with us on Monday evening.”

Her breath punched out of her at that, and her eyes widened. “Seriously? I-I have a _life_ here, I can’t just—,”

“You’ve decided your role here,” Ash moved her wide eyed look to Elijah, the cold brown of his eyes making her heart ache. “We are leaving on Monday; a car will be sent, and you will be ready.” Klaus raised his eyebrows, biting back the smile he shot Ash that was entirely too gleeful.

She clenched her jaw, pursing her lips for a moment, before giving them both a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Is there anything else, or can I finally go home now?”

Klaus waved her off, his eyes still dancing. Ash ground her teeth together, barely resisting the urge to grab the bastard by the throat and ring his neck. She grabbed her purse, standing up and heading for the door, not giving either of them a single glance as she slammed it behind her.

* * *

When the elevator doors opened onto the ground floor, Ash stormed out into the foyer. The building was still silent, save for the sound of her footsteps echoing. One hand was gripping the strap of her purse, the other one curled around her keys. She was angry, part of her was hurt— the other part was just grateful that nothing had happened between her and Elijah the night Stefan and Lexi came.

She shoved through the front door, blinking back the frustrated tears burning her eyes. Her eyes swept the area, the only cars present her own and Klaus and Elijah’s. She swallowed the lump in her throat, lifting her free hand to wipe at her eyes before she marched over to her car.

She shoved the key into the lock, unlocking the door and getting in, pulling the door closed. She sat for a moment, letting her face fall into her hands. She focused on breathing, counting each breath slowly.

After a few minutes, she took a deep breath through her nose, dropping her hands and picking her keys back up as she let the breath out in a measured exhale. She put the key into the ignition, turning it and furrowing her brows when the familiar stuttering of a failed starter was all she heard. “No, no, no, _no_ ,” She muttered furiously, her eyes going wide when she turned the key again and the same thing happened. “Fuck, not now!” She groaned when her third attempt garnered the same result. “God dammit.” Her head thumped back against the head rest, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to hold back the fresh wave of tears.

Taking in another deep breath, Ash fished her phone out of her purse, making a frustrated noise when she saw she didn’t have any service. Glancing around, it wasn’t a leap to assume she was in a dead zone, and she finally let out a hiccuped sob. Her lip started to tremble, and she bit it in an attempt to hold back the emotions surging to the surface. A tear fell down her cheek, and Ash scrubbed it away with the back of her hand, closing her eyes as she forced herself to calm down.

Taking a sharp inhale through her nose, Ash smacked her hands on the steering wheel, sighing the breath out a moment later. If she started walking now, hopefully she could get somewhere and use a phone; she sent a quick prayer up that Stefan or Enzo would pick up when she called.

With a nod to herself, Ash shoved her phone back into her purse, taking her keys out of the ignition, and getting out of the car. She locked it, put her keys back in her purse, and turned back around.

She froze when the door to the office building opened, Klaus and Elijah strolling out; they seemed to be having a hushed argument. Ash stayed still, glancing around for an out; she winced when Elijah caught sight of her, his brows furrowing as he stopped walking. Klaus stopped as well, turning to her with a confused look of his own; Ash wished for the second time that night that the ground would swallow her whole.

The two brothers had a small conversation, quiet enough that Ash couldn’t hear. After a moment, Klaus shrugged and walked to his car, giving Ash a quick wave and a smile that didn’t comfort her at all as he got inside. He drove off quickly, and Elijah headed towards her.

Ash bit her lip, digging her nails into the palm of her hand. For some reason, she stayed rooted in her spot, her gaze locked on the ground; she winced again when his shoes came into view. When he didn’t speak, Ash finally looked up to him, catching his eye.

His eyebrows were furrowed, his lips pulled into a thin line; his eyes skipped over her form before glancing back at her car. “What are you doing?”

Ash heaved a sigh through her nose, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. “My car won’t start and I don’t have any service. I need to,” Her voice was tense, and she swallowed around the lump in her throat, waving her hand in the direction of the road. “Go find somewhere so I can call somebody.”

Confusion flickered over his face, and Ash looked back down to the ground. “Ms. Rhodes,” His voice was gentle, and Ash looked up to him with her own confused look. His eyes weren’t as cold now, some of the warmth coming back; she didn’t move when he lifted a hand and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I _can_ drive you home, if you would like.”

Ash bit her lip, shuffling in place for a moment. She wanted to take him up on it, but some part of her had a feeling that he would want to talk about recent events; she didn’t know if she had the energy to do that. When she sighed, Elijah let his hand drop, his jaw clenching. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Her voice was wavering, and she wanted to kick herself; crying wouldn’t do anything for her right now, and she really did not need the added humiliation.

Elijah gave her an incredulous look, glancing around. “You do not honestly mean to tell me that you are _walking_ anywhere tonight.” At her shrug, he shook his head, putting his hand on the small of her back and guiding her to his car. “Absolutely not.”

Ash tried digging her heels in, but he clearly was not taking no for an answer. When they reached the passenger side of his car, Elijah opened the door for her, raising an expectant eyebrow when she didn’t get in. She sighed through her nose, glancing at him one more time before climbing in. Elijah closed the door and rounded to the driver’s side, and Ash took a moment to compose herself.

When she breathed in, she couldn’t help but to take in the spicy scent of his cologne. She ground her teeth together, buckling her seatbelt when Elijah got in. He watched her for a moment, and Ash avoided his scrutinizing stare for all of a half second. “What?” Her exhaustion seeped into her voice, and she let her head fall back onto the headrest.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, frowning up at him. His brows were drawn, his own lips pulled down; his brown eyes were searching her own, and Ash sighed as she looked away.

“He told me not to,” She turned her attention to the window, and Elijah started the car, backing out and pulling onto the road. She snorted, bringing a hand up to rub her eyes. “God, I am such a _fucking_ idiot.” She let out a humorless laugh, looking back out of the window.

Elijah pulled off to the side of the road, putting the car in park so he could turn to her. “Ms. Rhodes,” She shook her head, and he sighed. “Ash.” She turned to him, her eyes narrowed into a watery glare. He licked his lips, sighing before meeting her eye. “I understand that things are complicated right now.”

She scoffed again, turning to shoot him an incredulous look. “You don’t _fucking_ say. You know, it was _killing_ me to act like nothing was going on. It was bad enough that I couldn’t tell Damon, or-or Enzo, but you?” She looked up at him, her voice cracking. The honey flecks of warmth in his eyes made the ache in her heart a little less noticeable, and she took a deep breath. “I didn’t _want_ to do it, Elijah. But I’ve been _through_ this before— _God_.” She laughed again, letting her face fall into her hands.

Elijah unbuckled his seatbelt, moving closer in his seat. The warmth of his palm settling on her back had her flinching for a second before she relaxed; he rubbed in small circles, and Ash heaved a long sigh. She looked back at him, at the mixture of confusion and worry. “What do you mean?” His voice was soft, as if he were afraid of spooking her; a small part of her appreciated it.

She took in a deep breath, sitting back up; Elijah pulled his hand back, dropping it into his lap. Ash bit her lip, unbuckling her seatbelt so she could angle her body enough to look at him. “Look, this isn’t my… First time, getting involved with this kind of shit.” His only response was a tilt of his head, and Ash closed her eyes, letting her head fall back onto the headrest. “I got into the wrong crowd in my early twenties. College dropout, pissed at the world; too smart for my own good.

“There was this— _guy_ ,” She groaned, moving her head to look at Elijah again instead of the empty road in front of them. “He was older, worldly— All that shit that gets naïve little girls. He kept me on the fringes of his shit; mostly, I just kept track of how much he was making from his drug sales. Eventually, I guess I proved that I was ‘good enough’ or something, and he wanted me deeper in,” She looked away at the flash of pity; she didn’t need it or deserve it. “He was a drug trafficker, Elijah.”

Ash glanced back at his sharp intake of breath, his eyes closing for a moment as he shook his head. She continued before he could say anything, holding up a hand. “He didn’t want me as a mule, but I didn’t want to- to _see_ that,” She shuddered, clenching her teeth. “He didn’t want to let me go, though; said I was too valuable, that I knew too much. I ran as soon as I got the chance, and this was the first time I felt comfortable enough to settle,” She laughed, the sound humorless and hollow to her own ears. “Dumbass.”

When Elijah didn’t say anything, Ash let her eyes fall shut; she hadn’t told anyone since she left David in the first place. Her eyes snapped open when she felt his hand cover her own, her gaze falling to watch him lace their fingers together. He squeezed and she looked up to see a cross between determination and protectiveness on his face. “Listen to me very carefully,” Her brow furrowed, but he kept speaking. “ _None_ of that was your fault,” When her mouth opened to argue, Elijah shook his head, his brows drawing together. “Ash, he took advantage of you. Don’t you dare think that either of these situations are your fault.”

She shook her head, lifting her free hand to rub at her face. “Thanks, Elijah, but I was grown up enough to know I was getting into shit. And Klaus even said—,”

“What my _brother_ said has nothing to do with anything,” Ash raised her brows, her eyes widening at the conviction in his voice. “Niklaus is not shy about manipulating anyone into getting what he wants,” His eyes softened, his thumb rubbing along her knuckles. “Was there anything else he told you, anything at all?”

Her hand tightened around his, her lips pursing for a moment. She wanted to tell him; wanted him to trust her again, to make sure those honey flecks were always present when he looked at her. The warm chocolate of his eyes swayed her, and she found her mouth opening. “He… Told me to stay away from you,” Elijah’s brows furrowed, confusion flickering over his face. “He said that _bad things_ happen to the women in your life.”

His tongue flicked out to wet his lips, and his free hand lifted to rub over his mouth while he shook his head. The hand holding Ash’s own tightened, and she bit her lip, watching him carefully. He looked into her eyes, pursing his lips for a moment. “Do you believe him?”

Ash shrugged, looking around. “Fuck— I don’t know, Elijah. The guy had just shown up at my house, I didn’t know _what_ to think.”

“And now?”

Ash blinked, her mouth opening and closing a few times as she tried to respond. Elijah was watching her, his expression guarded, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “I… I don’t want to.”

He licked his lips again, and Ash’s eyes flicked down to watch. His thumb was rubbing soothing circles on her hand, and she felt some of the anxiety from the night bleed away. “What do you want, Ash?”

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt herself leaning forward, watching him as carefully as he was watching her. They met in the middle, and Ash let her forehead rest against Elijah’s, her eyes closing as she struggled to respond. She wanted him, but she was terrified of what would happen. She also wanted to run for the hills and never look back, but that desire was growing further and further away with each passing second.

“I-I… I think I want you.” His chuckle was a breathy thing, and Ash’s eyes fluttered closed, her lips twitching into a smile.

“You ‘think’?” The murmur of his voice washed over her, and she bumped her nose into his. She opened her eyes again, glancing up to see the way his pupils dilated, the way he wanted her just as much.

“Okay,” She moved her face, angling to press her lips to his. Her eyes closed again, and she felt his free hand come up to cradle her jaw. It was just a simple press of their lips, nothing more; she couldn’t handle that, not with everything else going on, and part of her warmed at the thought that he wasn’t pushing for more. When they parted, Ash bit her lip in a smile as she glanced up at him. “I _know_ I want you. Is that better?”

He smiled back at her, a small, private little thing that made her heart swell. “It does make me much happier.” His voice was a whisper, as if he were afraid of shattering the moment. 

She sighed, closing her eyes after she leaned back into her seat. “What are we gonna do?” Elijah lifted their joined hands, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.

“For now, we are going to play along,” She opened her eyes, glancing at him. He offered her another smile, his eyes soft. “I was not lying when I said that I would keep you safe, Ash.”

She gave him a wobbly smile, wishing she could believe him.


End file.
